


Resolutions

by daBOSSz



Category: Final Fantasy VI
Genre: Conflict Resolution, Declarations Of Love, Epic Friendship, F/M, Family, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, Love, Post-Canon, Resolution, Team as Family, Wedding Fluff, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:07:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 27,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26029933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daBOSSz/pseuds/daBOSSz
Summary: *COMPLETE* Five years after defeating Kefka, the Final Fantasy VI crew is reunited at Celes' and Locke's wedding. This story covers resolutions for each of the fourteen playable characters (yes, EACH of them: Terra, Locke, Edgar, Sabin, Celes, Cyan, Shadow, Gau, Setzer, Mog, Strago, Relm, Umaro, and Gogo) and hopefully gives all of them the closure that they have more than earned.
Relationships: Celes Chere & Locke Cole, Celes Chere/Locke Cole, Macías "Mash" Rene Figaro | Sabin Rene Figaro/Lola, Relm Arrowny/Gau, Setzer Gabbiani/Maria, Tina Brandford | Terra Brandford & Edgar Roni Figaro, Tina Branford | Terra Branford/Edgar Roni Figaro
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	1. Edgar

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: Final Fantasy VI and its characters are wholly the properties of Square Enix. This story is written purely for entertainment and not profit.
> 
> As amazing of a game as Final Fantasy VI is, the ending feels somewhat incomplete. Sure, the main villain is defeated, but the world is still ruined, and many of the characters' own arcs don't feel satisfactorily wrapped up. This story will aim to give each of them a hopefully more satisfying conclusion. Hope you enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Figaro Castle makes its final preparations for the wedding, what has its king been up to for the past five years?

_To our beloved family:_

_Your honored presence is requested at the wedding of_

**Celes Chere & Locke Cole**

_Set to take place at Figaro Castle on the Summer Solstice_

_Ceremony to begin at high noon with reception to follow_

_Gifts not necessary; your attendance is the most desired gift_

* * *

The first rays of the dawn's light over Figaro Castle brought its inhabitants out of their slumber, although a good number of them were already wide awake. The big day had finally arrived. The mood was festive throughout the mechanically advanced structure. In every corner of the building, every person was humming jovial tunes as they put up the final decorative touches.

It was a ceremony that the castle's residents had been preparing for months in advance: the wedding of Celes Chere and Locke Cole. Of course, for King Edgar Roni Figaro himself, it was a wedding he foresaw years before anyone else.

Celes and Locke had found each other during their incredible journey across the world that permanently bonded fourteen of the most mismatched individuals together. Through sheer grit and determination, the fourteen of them had managed to defeat Kefka and purge his evil taint from their world, but the price paid by the entire planet was steep. The world had been torn asunder with countless lives lost in the process, and the damage had been so severe that, five years later, much of the land was still reeling from the year-long destruction that Kefka had caused.

However, from the ashes of Kefka's taint rose a blossoming romance that continued to grow stronger over time. While the group disbanded shortly after Kefka's defeat, Celes and Locke chose to return to Figaro with Edgar. It took some time for Celes to settle with the guilt of her imperial past, but Edgar believed in her enough to hire her as the head commander of Figaro's military. The decision paid off: under Celes' tutelage, Figaro's troops became the strongest, most disciplined, and most respected in the world.

Locke was not someone who could stay in one place for very long. Fully understanding and accepting of this part of his personality, both Edgar and Celes allowed him to continue his adventures as a self-proclaimed world class treasure hunter. However, Locke had found a home with Celes in South Figaro to which he returned frequently to be by her side, often with glamorous tales of his adventures and a few treasures sprinkled throughout.

Now, five years after Kefka's defeat, Celes and Locke were finally ready to take the next step in their relationship and tie the knot.

Edgar was never a fan of overly fancy decorations, but even he had to make an exception once in a while. When two of his closest friends declared their engagement, he never hesitated to offer Figaro Castle as the venue for their wedding.

"You just pick the date, and I'll do the rest," Edgar had told them once they agreed to accept his offer.

Well, he partially lied, since no king had enough time or energy to plan and prepare for an entire wedding ceremony. Edgar had to delegate much of the work to his staff, although he did contribute his fair share of the effort alongside them. There was one task he made sure to do himself though: writing and sending the invitations to the other members of their mismatched family.

Edgar smiled as he admired the decorations adorning the Figaro throne room. The entire family had not been together at the same place and time since they escaped from Kefka's tower aboard the Falcon five years ago. He did not know how often the others saw each other, but he made sure to stay in touch with all of them himself. Of course, being a king had its advantages, one of which was that he possessed the resources to maintain contact with everybody as well as serve as a go-between for any of them to contact anyone else.

Like the rest of the world, the past five years had not been easy for the Kingdom of Figaro. With no sense of direction for how to rebuild and no dominant ruler to lord over them, some areas of the world quickly fell into chaos. Fearing that they would be next, and having learned of the heroics that Edgar and his friends had accomplished, the nearby towns of South Figaro, Narshe, Kohlingen, and Jidoor swore allegiance to Figaro Castle, pleading with its young king for protection. Although Edgar welcomed their loyalty, he was not a king who wanted to bite off more than he could chew, and the more towns that trusted him, the more pressure he felt to meet the needs of those towns' residents. For a man who never initially wanted the throne to begin with, Edgar was more often than not overwhelmed by the expectations these towns had for his leadership.

He was thus thankful that Celes had agreed to serve as head commander again, this time for Figaro's military. Celes used her experience from being a general to instill discipline and toughness among his army, but she also added her own touch of compassion that she was forbidden from passing onto the troops she trained while serving under Emperor Gestahl. The results spoke for themselves: unlike the imperial troops that were feared and resented, Figaro's troops were often cheered when they marched into a town. Having established such a positive reputation, even cities and towns located far away sometimes called on Figaro to help quell any chaos that arose.

Certainly, his military could not have developed this type of reputation if all it did was squash unrest. Edgar made sure to learn from the mistakes of the past, more often tasking Figaro's troops with protecting and transporting much needed supplies and travelers to towns across the world than sending them to distant lands as peacekeepers. While not all supplies were manufactured in Figaro, delivering them to their intended destinations had become almost second nature to many of Figaro's soldiers, and their aid was always appreciated anywhere they arrived.

It need not be said that, unlike Gestahl and Kefka, Edgar had no dreams of carving out an empire. Ruling over four surrounding towns gave him enough sleepless nights already, and he knew it would be unfair to his subjects if he continued to devote attention farther and farther from home. However, having seen his castle up in flames at the mercy of a much more powerful foe, and having been forced to play nice to said foe while simultaneously working against it, Edgar could not allow Figaro to be put into such a precarious position again, so he was determined to find a proper balance of strength and security for his kingdom without appearing as a threat.

The amount of work put into all of this, in addition to all the other normal political duties he was responsible for daily, taxed Edgar's mind and body practically every hour. Yet despite the exhaustive nature of his job, he never wavered from his conviction. His story did not end with Kefka's downfall, and from the moment he returned to Figaro Castle once the wizard had been slain, he had set forth to realize his vision of making Figaro an active participant in the world's healing process.

Edgar still could not say that being king was enjoyable, but by now, he had gotten used to both the stress and rewards that came with his duties. Thus, he could no longer imagine himself living the same life of freedom that Sabin was embracing and once tried to persuade him into.

However, being king also meant another expected duty to fulfill: he would need to eventually declare an heir to the throne. Ideally, this meant courting an eligible maiden and producing a biological heir, but that had always proven difficult due to his instantly flirtatious personality toward women. Although he knew that his castle staff would never tell him directly, Edgar was wise enough to understand that, over the years, this trait had turned away every eligible maiden within his castle's walls. Additionally, this trait had caused him to develop a reputation across the kingdom as someone who approached too strongly, reducing the possibility that any eligible maiden was willing to give him a chance.

Edgar sighed to himself, knowing this was not a responsibility he could escape from. He knew time would eventually run out; he was already thirty-three years old, and with every passing year, the possibility of finding someone who would reciprocate the love he was willing to shower upon her dwindled. A day like today, when a wedding was being hosted to forge a new union, simply served as another reminder that he had yet to take that first necessary step to finding his heir. It was not something he wanted to do to another human, especially if that human was his own flesh and blood; after all, he had taken the throne reluctantly himself. However, he had always understood that not leaving a kingdom in the hands of a strong, trustworthy individual would easily undo all of the beneficial work completed in that kingdom's name.

Edgar walked out of his throne room and took the stairs up Figaro Castle's rear tower, saluting his guards as he did so. Upon reaching the top, he peered east just in time to see the sun rise within its own light, and any negative thoughts that had festered in his mind that morning were instantly cast aside. Today, he would not drown himself in his royal responsibilities. Today, he would welcome back close friends and celebrate a love six years in the making.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How did you enjoy the first chapter? I wanted to start with Edgar, since the story is to be set at Figaro Castle, but I plan to write about each of the fourteen playable characters (although it won't be one chapter for each, since some of them aren't major enough to fit into their own chapters).
> 
> Anyway, please feel free to let me know what you think. I love hearing from you!


	2. Strago

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The disappearance of magic has not been friendly to Strago and Thamasa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those who read and enjoyed the first chapter. I do want to caution you that this chapter is not going to be as happy as the others, but in a world still recovering from the apocalypse, it cannot all be sunshine and rainbows.

In his younger years, the dawn of a new day was something he took for granted. After all, days just came and went, and each day usually passed like any other. Now that he was in his twilight though, seventy-six-year-old Strago Magus took great joy in watching the first rays of light shine through his window every day, counting his blessings to have made it through another night and onto a fresh sunrise.

This day would be especially joyous with Celes and Locke finally getting married. Strago smiled from his bed, already picturing the delightful looks that the guests would have on their faces when the two would declare their vows of eternal commitment to one another. He felt so fortunate to have met and known the two as well as their little family of heroes, and he was gladder than ever that he would share in their bliss on their big day. It was just disappointing that he would not be able to attend.

The past five years had not been kind to Strago. Kefka's defeat had saved the world, but with his demise came the disappearance of magic everywhere. Strago returned to Thamasa, but adjusting to life without magic had not been easy for the residents of his village. They had lived their entire lives with magic coursing through their veins, and the physical toll that magic's absence created was enough to drive many of them into despair. While a good portion of the village eventually adapted, a small number were tragically unable to fight through the pain and wound up taking their own lives. Adding to the misery, Thamasa's isolation, once viewed as a blessing to hide itself from sinister forces, now seemed like a curse as the rest of the planet abandoned it to focus on its own rebuilding needs.

Then, just as it appeared that Thamasa would reemerge from the darkness, disaster struck again when the town's magi residents suddenly began falling ill. Strago, being no different from the others in his village, was not spared. It was soon discovered that the removal of magic from their bodies had led to cancerous cells growing in place of such powers. Children, thankfully, were the most fortunate; none had bodies that were developed enough with magic to become ill. Terra and Celes, not being magi and with their magic coming from different origins, also avoided the disease. Some of Thamasa's residents, mostly the young and middle-aged ones, found a way to beat or at least control the illness due to their bodies continuing to familiarize themselves with the ailment and fighting back. Elderly residents though, who had spent their entire lives with magic being an integral part of their anatomy, were simply neither strong nor adaptable enough to combat such an illness and started dying one by one.

Somehow, Strago had survived for three more years living with a disease that should have killed him within months. All of his elderly compatriots had long passed on, and yet here he was, still fighting tooth and nail even as the cancerous cells continued to consume him.

When the others found out, they had all made sure to check in on him whenever possible. They would keep him updated on the statuses of their lives, and it relieved him to know that they were all putting forth their best efforts in helping the world recover.

One visit in particular would always stand out to Strago: Terra's first. She had traveled over from Mobliz for a day and hoped to offer him some comfort. Instead, it was Terra who wound up needing the comforting as she was riddled with the guilt of being spared while Strago and all of Thamasa struggled. The young woman was still learning to understand love at the time, and when she had left, Strago had inadvertently taught her another aspect of that feeling: the depth of care one has for those close to the heart.

In an ironic twist of fate—at least ironic in his own eyes—the group he had saved the world with all claimed that they were now drawing inspiration from Strago to continue fighting their own battles. Strago found it strange because he viewed himself as the first to give up so easily when the world was destroyed, throwing himself into the Cult of Kefka until Relm's presence snapped him out of his stupor. Yet for some reason, the others now saw him as their strongest fighter. It was not as though he had chosen to contract an illness and outlive its projected death day by three years, but his fate had apparently been enough to motivate others to continue pushing forward.

"Whatever struggles we're going through, we have no excuses now," he remembered Celes telling him once while she was battling her own guilt from serving under Emperor Gestahl. "If you're fighting this hard against such impossible odds, who are we to give up on ourselves and our loved ones so easily?"

Strago had held out hope even up until this very morning that he would be able to somehow make his way out of bed and travel to Figaro for the wedding, but his body's physical toll was simply too much to bear. Still, he dared not to pass on news of his absence to everyone, worried that they might shift focus to his terminal condition rather than enjoying their jubilant occasion; only a few knew that he stood no chance of being present at the ceremony today.

Regardless of his condition, he was at peace with his fate. Considering how many deaths he had witnessed occur suddenly with no time for loved ones to prepare and accept, Strago was at least thankful that he knew approximately when he would board the Phantom Train. He had lived a long and worthwhile life, even achieving the goal of saving the world from a madman alongside a team of heroes who were forever bonded to each other; certainly, not too many individuals could claim pride over such a feat on their deathbeds.

A small barking sound diverted Strago's attention, although he remained motionless. Lifting his head was now a chore in and of itself, so he simply let Interceptor climb onto the bed and lie beside him with the dog fully used to this morning routine. Strago's stubborn side would never admit it, but he had developed a very soft spot for the dog and could no longer imagine going through any day without seeing him.

"Grandpa," Relm's voice came from the doorway. "How are you this morning?"

"Uhhhh…" a long, drawn-out sigh was all Strago managed to exhale.

As much as he appreciated Relm's care, Strago always felt guilty that he was the reason she was forced to put her artistic dreams on hold. Prior to his illness, Relm's art was getting noticed across more and more towns, and the young girl was being commissioned to paint portraits for several wealthy individuals. However, as soon as news of his illness leaked, she immediately abandoned her pursuits and stayed with him around the clock, even as he insisted on her letting him be. Strago was uncertain just how long Relm had gone without honing her skills, but Relm swore—in every definition of the word—that he never needed to worry about her artistic prowess when he had a much bigger battle at hand.

Relm lifted his head and grabbed the pillow he had been resting on, tossing it aside and switching it with another one that she had fluffed up prior to entering his room. Interceptor nuzzled up to him when his head landed softly on the new pillow, making a slight mewling noise in the process.

"I'm fine," Strago finally managed to whisper. "You should…get ready. Setzer…will be here…to pick you up…soon…"

"Grandpa, I can't go to the wedding with you like this," Relm declared.

"Go…" Strago ordered softly. "I've made…arrangements…"

"What arrangements?" Relm asked, slightly suspicious.

Before Strago had a chance to answer, a knock at the door redirected Relm's attention. Temporarily leaving her grandfather's side, the sixteen-year-old approached the door and opened it to reveal three familiar faces.

"Hey, Relm," Setzer greeted. "How is your grandfather?"

"Stubborn as ever," Relm answered. "The old bag of bones still insists that I go to the wedding and that he's made arrangements."

"Your grandfather does not lie," Cyan joined in. "My daughter shall watch him."

"Yes, it would be my pleasure," Lola followed up. "You go with Setzer and Dad, Relm. I'll keep an eye on your grandpa."

"Told…you…" Strago made sure he got a word in.

"Ugh, just like you to rub it in, you hag," Relm responded as only she could. "Fine, but don't you dare do anything stupid while I'm away! I won't stand for it if you give Lola a panic attack."

Strago could not help but smirk at Relm's choice of words. As his life wound down, he took much greater pleasure in every moment that he was able to witness Relm's fiery personality. She left the room and quickly returned with her bag, bid him farewell, and walked out the door with Setzer.

"Thank…you…Lola," Strago said after Relm was out of earshot, to which the girl responded with a smile and a nod. "Cyan…"

"Yes, Sir Strago?" the Doman warrior replied. "Does thou have ready the document in question?"

"Top…drawer…" Strago instructed.

Cyan opened it to find a scroll. He untied the knot, unraveled it, read it, and rolled it back up before retying the ribbon around it again.

"Very good," Cyan said. "I shall make sure to care for this, just as my daughter shall care for thee."

The warrior said his farewells to both the magus and his adoptive daughter before heading out the door to catch up with Setzer and Relm. Strago smiled as Cyan departed, once again mentally picturing the smiling faces of everyone at the ceremony that would soon commence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're wondering how Lola became Cyan's daughter, that's a story I will cover when the focus shifts to Cyan. I wanted this chapter to be about Strago alone; even Relm will be getting more attention in a different chapter.
> 
> What do you think? Please let me know if you have any feedback. I always love hearing from you!


	3. Relm and Shadow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Relm had already experienced a whirlwind of a life, and she was only a teenager.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two characters down, twelve more to go. This chapter will combine two together because…well, the reason should be pretty obvious. Enjoy!

Relm took time every week to pay the Thamasa cemetery a visit, and although she had already done it earlier this week, it felt proper for her to do so again on this day before she left for Figaro. After all, her guests mentioned their desire to pay their own respects while they were in town, and she would never consider denying them such a wish.

Buried side by side were two men who died with honor: one who had always fought with it and one who had reclaimed it. Relm, Cyan, and Setzer first approached the left gravestone: General Leo Christophe.

Each said a few words to give their respects to the fallen general. Even Cyan, who had long since buried the hatchet with the once imperial commander, showed nothing but kindness. In the years that Leo had rested in Thamasa, his former enemies kept his burial site well-maintained and made sure that his dignity and sacrifice were never forgotten.

The same could also be said for the person buried next to him. The three turned their attention to the gravestone on the right with a two-line name marked in clear, capital letters:

CLYDE ARROWNY

"SHADOW"

"Dad," Relm spoke first. "I'm just letting you know that I'm going to Figaro. They're finally getting married today."

"It would've been great to have you attend the wedding with all of us," Setzer followed up.

"We know thou art with us in spirit, though," Cyan added. "We do not forget thy deeds."

Setzer and Cyan each lay a flower on the graves before walking away with Relm. They had all visited plenty of times since defeating Kefka, so there was no need for elaborate speeches.

Relm had long since gotten over the shock factor of realizing that her father had been fighting alongside her the whole time. Although she figured that nobody would ever fully understand why he chose to end his journey the way he did, she and all the other members of their extended family were at peace with the decision he had made to remain behind in Kefka's tower as it collapsed atop him. She remembered that Sabin had led a search effort not long afterward, and by some miracle, they had managed to find his body. When Strago insisted that he be interred at Thamasa, Relm grew curious. She hounded her grandfather, refusing to stop asking him why until he finally caved and revealed the truth to her.

When the pieces of the puzzle all came together, Relm experienced all five stages of grief. For the first few days, she denied the truth. When denial turned into anger, she lashed out at her grandfather for hiding the truth for so long. She often cursed herself to sleep at night, crying over the many realizations: that her father had chosen to live life as an outlaw rather than care for his child, that he had developed a reputation across the world as a ruthless assassin, that he had two-timed countless people and groups he also allied with, etc. Once she reached the bargaining stage, she began questioning what she could have done during her infancy to drive him away, which accelerated her descent into a depressive state when she constantly blamed herself for not being able to remember him at all.

None of this was something Relm would ever wish upon a preteen, but she did not get to choose her age when this discovery occurred. Eventually, as she grew older and began accepting the reality of her relationship with Shadow, she also developed a better understanding for why he had left and why her grandfather had kept their relationship a secret after finding out. It did not mean she was willing to forgive her father for every decision that he had made, but at the very least, she could see his reasons. Now, as a sixteen-year-old, it no longer bothered her much to think about her father; after all, since he was never there for her, they were related only by blood and nothing more. He had chosen his path, and in the end, he had also consciously chosen his own demise.

Having already been an infamous assassin prior to his death, tales of Shadow as a villain who had reclaimed his honor when he died fighting Kefka soon started spreading throughout various corners of the world. Today, his name is held in both high regard and still feared among those who embrace legends. For Relm, who had never divulged the fact that he was her father to anyone outside of her trusted inner circle, his legacy in the eyes of the world would not matter on a personal level. He tried to atone for his sins and died with honor, and that was satisfying enough of a lasting memory for her to hold onto.

As the trio approached the Falcon, Relm spotted a familiar face already standing on its deck looking over the side. Immediately, her eyes lit up, and she formed an affectionate smile of pure excitement. Neither Setzer nor Cyan did anything to stop her when she took off running to board the airship, dropping her bag in the storage hold and flying her way up the stairs.

"Gau!" she shouted as soon as she reached the deck. She charged up to him, threw her arms around his neck, buried her face into his shoulder, and spun him around. "Oh, I've missed you so much!"

Gau's hands were around her waist instantly, clutching her against him tenderly. Relm did not want him letting go.

"Gau missed Relm more," the now-nineteen-year-old youngster remarked.

It had been well over a month since the two had last seen each other, and unfortunately, such seldom visits had become more of the norm. Relm was preoccupied with caring for Strago, and Gau had been training more often with Sabin. The infrequency of any visits simply made moments like this more precious for both of them.

Relm never expected to fall for Gau. She had only gotten to know a few details about him during their journey to save the world, and she was not too fond of him then, not even being able to see him as a close friend. He was simply too different, having grown up in the untamed wilds of the Veldt while she was more of a village girl. She had seen how frustrating it had been for Sabin to teach Gau the mannerisms that she had long taken for granted, and she could not imagine how impatient she would be if she had been in Sabin's position.

However, her view of Gau gradually began changing in the aftermath of Kefka's defeat. Gau, having considered everyone in the party to be a friend, would try his best to visit them all often. He would show up in Thamasa from time to time, sometimes with Cyan and/or Sabin and sometimes alone, and knock on Strago's door to check in on both him and Relm. He paid her several visits in other parts of the world while she was working for various wealthy individuals painting portraits, always complimenting and admiring her art regardless of how others felt. As Relm grew into her teen years, Gau's honest authenticity became harder for her to overlook or shrug off.

Throughout the trauma of discovering that Shadow had been her father, Gau had shown up almost regularly to comfort her while she grieved. There were even times when she had taken her emotions out on him because of convenience, and yet he never flinched, always offering her the emotional support she sometimes did not even realize she needed.

Strago had fallen ill before Relm had a chance to finish grieving over Shadow, forcing the young artist to put all of her ambitions on hold while she cared for her grandfather. While others who she thought she had befriended during her artistic tenure began abandoning her one by one, Gau stuck by her, increasing his visits to Thamasa and often bringing essential supplies and medication for Strago from distant lands. Whenever Relm felt overwhelmed by Strago's needs, it was Gau who almost always lent a hand.

Relm still remembered the first time that Gau had seen her cry. All the pressure that she had felt—from coping with Shadow's identity to looking after Strago—had strained her beyond her breaking point, and she ran outside of her house to let her tears flow. Gau, who had been visiting her, heard her footsteps and followed her into her yard, where he caught her unable to mask her emotions behind her foul-mouthed façade any longer. She expected some sort of jab from him, but she instead received an arm around her shoulder. Incapable of controlling herself, she grabbed him and cried into his chest. He never objected, telling her afterward that he understood because he felt all of her pain.

To this day, aside from Strago, Gau was the only person Relm had shown her vulnerable side to. Although she suspected that the rest of their family knew, Relm had consistently maintained her sassy persona while around them. She was simply too prideful of an individual to display such signs of weakness, but around Gau, she was unafraid to let down her guard.

Gau may have grown up as a feral child, but Relm eventually discovered that he had a heart purer than any "civilized" person she had ever known. He never held grudges and had a firm grasp on the concepts of love, loyalty, and gratitude that still confused most adults. He never judged her and found joy in seeing her be herself. When he finally confessed to Relm that he had developed feelings for her, it had become a no-brainer for Relm to return those feelings.

"Okay, lovebirds," Setzer's voice interrupted her from her thoughts. "Are you ready to take off?"

"Ready!" Relm declared, finally releasing her hug on Gau to see that both Setzer and Cyan had arrived on the deck.

"Gau ready too!" her companion joined in.

"Then let's head out," Setzer declared as he took the wheel. "Next stop: Figaro!"

The airship lifted off and started its course northwest, leaving Thamasa behind. As she peered ahead toward their destination and the ceremony she was about to attend, Relm started to wonder if she could ever see herself being married one day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My intention in this chapter was to focus on Relm's perspective. Hopefully, that was clear in the way I wrote about her relationship with Gau, because Gau will also have his own resolution section in a later chapter.
> 
> Questions? Comments? Feedback? Please feel free to leave them. I always love hearing from you!


	4. Cyan and Setzer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How have Cyan and Setzer moved forward with their lives post-Kefka?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those who have been reading so far. I hope you're enjoying the story. And now: Chapter 4.

Flying by Doma Castle was unexpected, and had it been a few years ago, Cyan Garamonde would have asked Setzer why. Now, however, the castle no longer stood for much other than a tragic past that the fifty-six-year-old warrior had long put behind him.

"Sorry," Cyan heard Setzer apologize from the wheel. "I couldn't fly direct to Figaro today because of the winds. I didn't intend to pass by this place."

"Water under the bridge," Cyan responded using the same words he always did whenever anyone brought up his former home.

These days, the only aspect of Doma Castle that Cyan felt awful about was its ruined state thanks to a string of misfortunes that befell the once proud kingdom. Kefka's poisoning six years ago decimated the entire population in an instant, and the apocalypse had forced the castle onto its own island where it has since sat separated from areas that it was once connected to. This geographic disadvantage meant that no effort had been made by anyone to reclaim the castle and restore it to its former glory. Aside from a few stragglers, the last visitors to the castle that anyone knew of were Cyan and his companions five years ago when they defeated Wrexsoul and freed Cyan from the burdens of his past.

As much as Cyan would love to see Doma rebuilt—he would even volunteer to take charge of such a project—it simply would not make any practical sense to do so at the moment. The kingdom was long gone, the building was located where no one wanted to visit, and the cost to do so would financially cripple any nearby city or town multiple times over. As the world continued struggling to recover from Kefka's plight, the last focus of any governing body should be the restoration of a once-grand castle.

No, Cyan had moved on from Doma. He had found himself a new life in Maranda, having moved in with Lola shortly after Kefka's defeat. It was originally not his intention, as he had only passed through to meet Lola in person and apologize for deceiving her with his letters. To his surprise, relief, and eventually joy, Lola never held his actions against him, appreciating him for keeping her spirits alive during a time when she worried constantly about Kefka's light of judgment striking her down. They spent time talking about their pasts, loss of loved ones, and struggles to release their hearts from being trapped in tragedies. When Cyan accidentally slipped up and admitted that he no longer had a home to return to, Lola offered her home to him, informing him that she could use some company knowing that her boyfriend would never return from Mobliz.

Cyan found work in Maranda as a mercenary, often hired by the townsfolk as well as others from nearby Jidoor to fight off the various beasts and bandits. As life with Lola moved forward, the two gradually developed a strong father-daughter relationship. Lola had lost both parents when she was young, so it became easy for her to empathize with Cyan's own losses of Elayne and Owain. Eventually, the two realized that they filled each other's voids quite nicely: she had been looking for parental guidance and he had been seeking another life he could care for. A little over two years after he had moved to Maranda, they decided to make it official; thanks to Cyan's connection to Edgar, a trip to Figaro was all it took for Lola to become his adoptive daughter by royal decree.

Cyan could still remember how nervous Lola was the first time she referred to him as her father, admitting that she could not even consciously remember using that word at a young age because of how early she had lost her parents. Since then, she has asked him to train her to fight on her own, proclaiming that the state of the world and their tragic pasts meant she could no longer depend on someone else to be her protector all the time. Cyan was more than happy to take her on, training her the same way he used to train Owain and instilling in her the skills and discipline of a true samurai. She may have started later in life, but in the time that she had studied under him, Lola had managed to master the code of bushido and now often joined Cyan in defending Maranda from various threats.

Of course, Lola was not the only disciple Cyan took on. Gau, looking to continue integrating himself into his friends' world outside of the Veldt, visited Cyan occasionally to educate himself on proper conduct. Cyan found it fascinating that Gau, who was pretty much his exact opposite in every facet, actually went so far as to admit that he looked up to the old warrior as a role model. He smiled every time he thought about it, as his relationship with Gau further illustrated just how tight their mismatched family truly was.

Cyan took a peek at Gau, who was holding himself together quite well aboard the airship, having improved greatly from his younger days when he was fearful of heights. Like many others who knew Gau, Cyan never figured that Relm would fall for him, but Gau had a way of charming himself into people's hearts.

As Doma Castle faded into the distance, Cyan's thoughts shifted to the wedding ahead. Having already experienced the blessings that came with establishing a new life for himself in the post-Kefka world, he felt overjoyed that Celes and Locke had found each other, and he eagerly anticipated the opportunity to give them his own blessings.

* * *

Running a business had never been Setzer Gabbiani's goal. He was a gambler who preferred high-risk, high-reward situations, and business always felt like a toned-down version of gambling. However, in the aftermath of Kefka's defeat, Setzer needed to take Celes' advice once more to find yet another new dream, and with the help of his friends, he quickly discovered it without having to settle in some boring town.

The Falcon had served its first purpose in transporting him and his companions around during their quest to defeat Kefka. With no desire to become a sitting duck, Setzer decided to turn the airship into his new permanent home. At first, he took the mercenary route similar to Cyan, traveling from place to place, fighting various beasts for those who beckoned, and ferrying those who could afford to pay for his airship's services. Nevertheless, the love of gambling flowed through his blood, and when he confessed to Edgar during a trip to Figaro that he felt unsatisfied with his mercenary work, the King of Figaro suggested that he convert the Falcon into a mobile casino similar to what he originally had on the Blackjack. This time, though, instead of simply keeping his games private, Edgar proposed that Setzer travel around the world and allow the public to enter and gamble to their hearts' delight wherever he decided to stop.

"No matter how troubled the world gets, there will always be some wealthy folks with money that they're willing to throw away," Edgar had said. "Why not let them bet it away with you?"

It took some time, but as the world gradually recovered and more people earned enough disposable income, the Falcon Casino became a welcomed attraction almost anywhere it went. Even among those who did not gamble, the Falcon was now viewed as a symbolic representation of life's joy that Kefka and (to a lesser extent) Gestahl had deprived the entire planet of during their oppressive and chaotic reigns.

No, Setzer had never envisioned himself running a business, but after a few years of experience, he had grown fond of his work. The casino made plenty of money for the thirty-three-year-old gambling pilot, far more than he needed to support himself and his airship, so he used much of what was left over to fund various rebuilding projects across the world. This generosity earned Setzer even greater accolades, and his reputation had changed completely from the pre-apocalypse years when he was better known as a man who kept to himself and pined for famous opera singers. Of course, having been part of the crew that saved the world from Kefka's wrath did not hurt either.

On this day, however, the Falcon Casino was closed for business. As much as he loved his work, all of his customers knew that Setzer never allowed his work to sacrifice his relationship with his closest friends. When any of them needed his airship for transport, he would be there without any conditions, and today, it was only natural that he was the one ferrying several of them to a wedding that had been years in the making, a wedding that he felt honored to be invited to as well.

Setzer chuckled a bit inside every time he thought about how he had actually come close to marrying the bride-to-be, but Celes, being as clever as she was, had used his own love of gambling to fool him. It was a moment that he and his companions had looked back on multiple times over the years and laughed at. As disappointed as he was at the time for losing someone as gorgeous as Celes, he was now glad he did; she and Locke were the perfect match, and he could not be happier for both of them.

As he turned the Falcon on a straight course toward Figaro Castle, Setzer took a quick glance back at his three passengers. Cyan was busying himself with some exercises, while Relm stood beside Gau with both arms clutched around his waist. Having transported them too many times to count, Setzer knew that Relm was still aware of Gau's fear of heights, and her care for him never failed to bring a smile to his face.

He may not have found his own perfect match yet, but the joy that Setzer felt for his companions who had found love in each other was satisfying enough for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, I struggled a bit to write Cyan's and Setzer's stories. When I play the game, I always have trouble paying as much attention to their stories as those of the other characters, and I can't explain why. Don't get me wrong; I love all the characters in Final Fantasy VI, but it's always harder to focus on these two for some reason. Hopefully, this is satisfying enough.
> 
> Please feel free to leave me your feedback. See you next chapter!


	5. Gau and Sabin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gau has grown into a young man, and Sabin is still as strong as ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're five chapters in, and like I promised, I'm going to be covering resolutions for all fourteen playable characters. Big thanks to everyone who has been reading and/or reviewing. I always welcome your comments.

Air travel no longer scared the nineteen-year-old Gau like it used to. Given his fear of heights, the most frightening moment of his life was undoubtedly the escape from Kefka's tower when Setzer had to suddenly drop the Falcon at an alarming speed to catch a falling Terra after she had lost her esper powers. Gau remembered hitting the deck hard and spending a moment or two in a daze, but instantly forgot about his fear when he saw that Terra was all right.

In the previous five years, Gau had traveled aboard the Falcon aplenty, and while his fear was not completely conquered, he trusted Setzer enough to no longer lose sleep over it. Besides, he had Relm to hold down his nerves whenever he felt frightened.

Gau breathed a relaxed sigh of relief and placed an arm around Relm, who was still clutching him by the waist with both of her own arms. He still found it incredible how close he had grown with the spunky girl, primarily because it happened so naturally and gradually that it was impossible to pinpoint one particular moment when he realized he had developed feelings for her.

If he were to guess, he would probably say that it all began when he first saw her artwork. Being a feral child, Gau never understood all the intricacies of art the way upper class collectors did, but he knew talent when he saw it, and Relm was talented. At the same time, Relm was hurting from uncovering her father's true identity, and Gau's heart began aching for her as she tried to rediscover her resolve from the revelation. Although he and Relm were not particularly close then, he still considered her a friend because they had teamed up to save the planet, so he tried to visit her as often as he could to check on her well-being.

Gau never liked to see his friends in pain, and the more time he spent around Relm, the more he wanted to get involved in her healing process. He put up with her constant tantrums, never once escalating any situations because he recognized that their source was her dilemma and not her personality. When Relm finally conquered her grief, he was present to share in her achievement.

After Strago fell ill, Gau watched Relm reveal the selfless soul behind her feisty personality. The way she cared for Strago was unprecedented: feeding him, bathing him, making him comfortable at every opportunity, and never once did she complain about her situation (except jokingly, which he knew was part of her character). He never told Relm that he sometimes felt shameful for realizing that he probably would not be able to care for anyone the way she did for Strago. It was not that he did not want to should an opportunity call for it, but he did not know if he had the seemingly instinctive skills that Relm had.

Putting her life on hold to watch over her grandfather proved to Gau that Relm had an enormous heart that he had seen lacking in so many others, and this heart steadily drew him in. He tried his best to help her with her situation: bringing her supplies, watching for (and warning her about) changes in her own health, and keeping her company when she needed someone to talk to. Still, he always felt as though he was not doing enough compared with her, which was why he was relieved when she pulled him aside one day and ardently thanked him for all his assistance.

It was on that day that he confessed his feelings. In hindsight, Gau realized that it might not have been the best time, considering how focused Relm's mind was on Strago, but to his amazement, Relm told him that she had been feeling the same way about him. The part of him that was in disbelief could not help but ask her why, since he still saw himself in many ways as nothing more than a feral child who had yet to be civilized, but Relm explained that his honesty, kindness, and dedication toward her and Strago had brought her heart closer to his.

He was overjoyed once more when Strago approved of their new relationship, calling Gau a diamond in the rough. Gau still did not understand what exactly Strago meant by that, but he was confident he would learn in due time.

As his love for Relm grew, she became the key motivator for him to continue learning and improving himself. He still considered the Veldt to be his home and did most of his self-guided training there, but he also increased his visits to Cyan and Sabin to train himself in other aspects of life. He had grown to see Cyan as the model gentleman and sponged up the old warrior's lessons on proper behavior in a civilized world, and while Sabin also taught him such lessons, he primarily went to the monk for strength and discipline training.

"What's gotten into you, Gau?" Sabin had asked him about a year ago. "You've been coming to me practically every week, asking me to train you."

"Gau need Sabin's strength," he had said. "Need to be stronger to protect Relm. Gau love Relm too much, don't want Relm hurt."

Thanks to Sabin's guidance, Gau was not only stronger than he would be if he only trained on the Veldt, but he was now disciplined enough to control most of his rages. Prior to seeking Sabin's serious tutelage, Gau would launch into a rage and mercilessly attack his enemies until they were defeated, but now, he could actually cease in the middle of a battle and readjust his strategies. During his training on the Veldt, he knew he had been surprising the beasts when he would pull off such unexpected techniques that Sabin had taught him.

Gau did not doubt that Relm would never actually need his protection—he had seen her in combat, and she was more than capable of defending herself—but it still gave him peace of mind to train with her safety in mind. He had witnessed how Sabin had saved Edgar when Kefka's tower was collapsing, and he knew that, if he ever found himself in a similar situation with Relm, he would want to be ready.

* * *

A single punch was all it took for the sharp-clawed monster to fall unconscious. It must have been new to the area, because most monsters in Figaro Cave knew not to get near Sabin Rene Figaro when he was passing through. Over the years, many of the cave's beasts had experienced his unyielding wrath when they attacked, mistakenly thinking he would be easy prey before whimpering back to their hiding spots bruised and beaten.

The thirty-three-year-old monk blitzed his way through the cave like he always did, finding hardly any challenges from its dwellers. Despite having aged past what many would consider their physical primes, Sabin never lost a step thanks to the discipline he practiced regarding his nutrition and training. He was still the same whopping lobster that Edgar had once referred to him as, but unlike his life prior to the apocalypse, Sabin no longer trained isolated from the rest of the world.

Master Duncan had passed away shortly after Kefka's defeat. Sabin discovered him in his cabin when he visited to tell him the good news, but found only a peacefully resting body that adorned a smile. In his final note, Duncan revealed that he had a terminal illness, but he was elated to see that his best disciple had played a key role in successfully overthrowing the source of the world's ruin. He pleaded with Sabin not to mourn his passing, reassured the young monk that his soul was at peace, and reminded him to never forget the lessons that had been passed on. Having already saved the world from its cruelest evil, Sabin vowed to his master that he would never turn his back on the planet and would make sure that Duncan's legacy lived on.

Five years later, Sabin split his time between South Figaro and Duncan's Cabin. He would stay in the latter whenever he needed the tranquility of isolation to refocus and reenergize, but he had opened a school in the former to train his own disciples. The adjustment was not easy; initially, he was flabbergasted that so many pupils would simply come and go seemingly at their leisure without the same level of dedication that he committed to under Duncan, but he had long since accepted that factors beyond a person's control often deprived them of the ability to consistently commit over extended periods of time.

Perhaps amazing (or perhaps not), his most dedicated disciple wound up being Gau. Throughout all five years of the school's existence, Gau had been attending and training regularly, but unlike so many others who gradually dropped their regimens, Gau had increased the frequency of his sessions. Sabin was just as surprised as everyone else when he found out why Gau had grown more motivated, but that shock was soon replaced by elation when he saw the level of care that Gau and Relm had developed for each other.

Once he had bulldozed out of the cave, Sabin headed around the cliff to an area of the mountains with almost perfectly formed rocks leading upward. Most individuals would never dare to ascend by jumping up such rocks, but Sabin was not most people, and the stones proved to be child's play for his agile movements. He bounced his way up the mountain, only occasionally needing to clutch a nearby boulder to steady himself or pull himself upward. He had tumbled down the same cliffside when he first tried to make his way up years ago, but now, ascending these rocks just felt routine to him.

As he reached the top of the highest mountain above Figaro Cave, Sabin peered to the east. Off in the distance, a tiny dot could be spotted approaching him. As the dot increased its size, it began taking the shape of an airship.

"Looks like I timed this perfectly," Sabin said to himself.

He watched a rope ladder being lowered as the airship descended toward the peak he was standing on. Once the ship began passing above him, the ladder swung in front at the perfect position to allow him to grab hold. He made his way up carefully, knowing that the wrong imbalance of energy from his grasp on the ladder could tilt the airship sideways. As he reached the top, he was met warmly by four smiling faces.

"Why do you always insist on boarding my ship this way?" Setzer quipped.

"You don't need to stop it just for me," Sabin responded with a chuckle. "Good to see you again too."

The others all exchanged their greetings with Sabin, who made sure to ruffle Relm's hair for good measure and elicit a curse-filled response from her. He would have done the same with Gau, but the once-tiny child now stood at his eye level.

With the airship now over the desert, Setzer continued descending it gradually, gliding it toward its destination. Soon, Figaro Castle came into view, and the five figures aboard smiled widely, eager for the wedding and reunion that awaited their attendance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope the first half of this chapter did not sound like a rehash of the others. I tried to write Gau's story from his perspective, but in a way, it was a retelling of what Relm's story had already covered.
> 
> Anyway, please feel free to leave me any feedback you may have as always. I appreciate all of your comments. Thanks for reading, and see you next chapter!


	6. Mog, Umaro, and Gogo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What has been happening with our beloved optional characters?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to anyone who has been reading and enjoying this story. Thank you for your support! Okay, onward!

The pack chocobo carried its cart across the desert, undaunted by the endless stretches of sand dunes. Having served as the trio's mode of transportation for years, its strength allowed it to navigate mountain paths and raging rivers with barely a flinch, so traversing a desert was just another average day on the job. Besides, it had been trained in Figaro, making the desert its home. Now, it was headed home.

Three strange figures populated the cart that the chocobo was pulling. Sitting at the helm and holding onto the bird's reins was a man who kept his appearance shrouded in mystery, covering himself from head to toe and leaving only his eyes visible. Inside the cart, the last remaining known Moogle and his yeti companion rested, trying to recover some energy before the events they were headed to attend.

The trio was simply known around the world as M3, short for "Mime, Monster, and Moogle." In the aftermath of helping to defeat Kefka, they had come together to form an entertainment group that traveled the planet and put on shows aiming to lift the spirts of those still grappling with the impact of the apocalypse and tyrannical rule. None of them initially felt that this was a good idea, but after their first performance, they realized just how much a desperate planet craved entertainment.

* * *

Mog yawned and stretched out his limbs as he awakened, still not fully recovered from their latest show the previous evening. He felt guilty for accepting the offer to perform in Nikeah the night before the wedding, knowing that they would have to catch the earliest ferry in the morning to South Figaro in order to arrive to celebrate with the others. He was originally going to turn them down, but the city had begged and pleaded, pointing out that it had been a year since the trio performed there and sending them letters from its residents telling them how much they were missed. Umaro and Gogo were not happy with his decision, but they went along with the performance anyway because it would have been rude to reject Nikeah's offer after accepting.

Mog understood that he did not always make the best decisions, but being the only member both willing and able to speak for the group, it often fell on his shoulders to call the shots. He would prefer to consult with both Umaro and Gogo prior to doing so, but such opportunities were often denied to him because cities and towns who hired them to perform tended to pressure him into immediate answers. Mog may have known how to speak the human language, but he did not fully understand how to manage human affairs, which sometimes resulted in logistical nightmares for his group.

Thankfully for Mog, both Umaro and Gogo were fully understanding of his situation. Although his partners were not hesitant to make their displeasure known whenever he made a poor decision, they respected him enough to always honor his choices. This did not mean that he never felt awful about his decisions though; he still had not gotten over the time he agreed to performances in Jidoor and Mobliz on back-to-back evenings, forcing them to travel across the planet immediately after they had finished their first show without being able to rest the night at an inn. The Jidoor performance had been booked first, but Mog just could not say no to Terra when she asked him and his crew to perform for the orphans, never revealing to her that they would be on the other side of the world just twenty-four hours prior.

In many ways, Mog was glad that he had such outspoken partners, since their honestly gave him plenty of opportunities to grow into the leadership role he had landed with the group. He was especially pleased with Umaro's willingness to start speaking up for himself instead of constantly yielding to Mog's every command like the yeti once did. Mog still felt remorseful about how he had treated Umaro in the year after the apocalypse. There was so much anger and sadness over losing his entire clan that Mog took it out on the yeti, and all Umaro did in return was give him unconditional respect simply because Mog had once shared some food with him.

Mog was also grateful that Edgar had supplied them the pack chocobo they traveled with. The well-trained and well-disciplined bird could haul the three of them plus all their cargo through any terrain, and although the rides were often not smooth, they always managed to get to their destinations without many incidents. The chocobo was even strong enough to fight alongside the trio from time to time when they encountered the occasional monster that needed dispatching.

Once he was fully awake from his nap, Mog took a peek outside the cart and recognized the sand dunes of the desert surrounding Figaro. It had been quite a journey from Nikeah, but they were almost there, and his mind could already picture the scene of his friends reunited within the castle's walls.

* * *

As he slowly opened his eyes, Umaro saw a blurry vision of Mog looking outside. From the small window that Mog was looking through, Umaro noticed the desert backdrop. Being a yeti, he was not particularly fond of the desert or the heat that came with the Summer Solstice, but he had traveled so much over the past five years that his body had gotten used to constantly changing climates.

"Boss, you wake?" Umaro asked.

"Umaro, I told you to stop calling me that, kupo," Mog answered. "We've been partners for years now, kupo."

"Sorry Boss, me still used to Boss," Umaro said, causing Mog to shake his head.

Umaro had never held any hostility toward Mog, even during the year when Kefka ruled the world and Mog constantly acted upset in front of him. Few people knew that Umaro had actually witnessed the other Moogles perish when the world had been torn asunder, even faulting himself for failing to save them in time, so when Mog returned to the Narshe Mines, Umaro felt that his anger was fully justified. Mog would not find out the truth until after Kefka's defeat, and even then, he did not reveal it to the others until he put his shame for treating Umaro so poorly behind him.

Despite Mog asking him for forgiveness, Umaro assured Mog that there was no need because he had never blamed the Moogle for his anger. From that point onward, Mog strived to consult Umaro in all decisions, including when he proposed that they try their hand at entertaining others.

The proposal turned out to be exactly what Umaro was searching for, as performing on stage brought the yeti a sense of usefulness that he had never felt in his life. He discovered that he had more talent than just his brute strength; while audiences were dazzled by his ability to crush strong objects without much effort, Umaro enjoyed himself much more when he could get the audience to crack up over something silly he would do. He did not understand why, but humans seemed to enjoy watching a giant yeti cluelessly trying to figure out something they took for granted, and he played this role well.

However, what Umaro appreciated the most were the smiles of children when they met and played with him before and after shows. Once they got over their initial fear of him, children would love approaching him, sometimes just to touch his fur. Mog loved children as well, but he was less likely to spend time with them due to not wishing to have his ball of hair grabbed. Umaro, on the other hand, enjoyed their curious little hands trying to get a feel for his unusual (by human standards) body structure. Because of this, Umaro always looked forward to visiting Mobliz, where the orphans under Terra's care had become his favorite audience.

There would be no performances today though. Today was the day of the wedding, and Umaro was as excited as the others to see all of his friends together again. He may not have known the others as long as Mog, but joining together to defeat Kefka had bonded him to them forever.

* * *

Gogo was glad that, at the very least, he was able to get some decent rest the previous evening after their show wrapped up in Nikeah. With tight schedules, some days were similar to what they were now experiencing: minimal opportunities to catch their breaths post-performance before needing to hit the road to make it to their next one on time. While he did not appreciate the need to rush, Gogo at least had some expertise in operating on minimal rest.

As he guided their pack chocobo toward Figaro Castle, Gogo continued to think about how surprised he was at being invited to this wedding. After all, he was the one who had the least amount of time together with their mismatched family, so Gogo never thought that the others considered him close enough to be an inseparable part of them. When the invitation initially came, he wondered if he received one only because Mog and Umaro did, but during a performance in South Figaro a few months ago, Locke assured him that was not the case.

"Your time with us may have been briefer than the others, but you're just as important to us as everyone else," Locke told him. "Without you, our family would never have felt whole."

Gogo figured that saving the world together tended to form these types of bonds, although he was not really able to ask anyone else outside of their inner circle if this was actually true seeing as how only the fourteen of them who defeated Kefka that day could testify to it. Nevertheless, he was glad that he no longer felt alone in the world. It was still amazing to him how tightly this group had bonded him to them, especially considering that he only decided to join them impulsively because he had nothing to lose.

Before he was swallowed up by the Zone Eater, Gogo had tried his hand at solo shows, but audiences often felt insulted when he would mimic their habits and personalities as part of his performances. Seeing as how mimicry was his best talent, their frequently poor responses to his acts meant that his attempt at a career fizzled out before it even began. Part of the reason he started covering himself up was this failure, since he did not want to run into anyone who might recognize him as "that stupid mime who mocked me."

This part of his past was also why Gogo hesitated when Mog had suggested that they form an entertainment group and why he was unwilling to take up the mantle of leadership for the group even when Mog felt that having a human lead would be better. However, the rest of the family gave him their blessing to use what he learned from mimicking them during their battles in his performances. Celes was especially encouraging, pointing out that it was his mastery of mimicry that allowed them to escape from Kefka's tower in the first place. Umaro even enjoyed being mimicked, and while on stage, the two of them would often draw both laughs and gasps of amazement at how well they emulated each other.

With these thoughts in mind, Gogo felt that, at the very least, he owed his family his presence at the wedding. It did not matter how fleeting their time was in the leadup to Kefka's downfall; they had given him the second chance—albeit inadvertently—he never thought he would receive.

* * *

Figaro Castle's guards smiled upon seeing M3 step off their cart. Gogo handed the chocobo's reins over to one of the guards, giving him a nod of appreciation before the man led their mode of transportation to the stables. Umaro and Mog headed to the castle entrance with Gogo following suit. Upon reaching the gate, Gogo stepped up next to Umaro, and in perfect sync, the yeti and mime pounded their knocks on the giant doors.

The guards, completely familiar with their knock, immediately opened the gates. Standing on the other side was Terra, who instantly beamed brightly at the sight of the trio.

"Mog! Umaro! Gogo!" she exclaimed, walking up to give each of them a hug. "It's great to see all of you again!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It doesn't matter how minor these characters are. They enhanced FF6's story and made the game much more enjoyable to play, so they deserve their resolutions in this story as well.
> 
> What do you think so far? As always, feel free to leave me any comments you may have. I appreciate them all!


	7. Terra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She lost her esper side and her magical abilities, but Terra is far more than just magic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are only three characters left to cover (but there will be more than three chapters in order to wrap up the story itself). First up is the one primarily regarded as the main character of the game. Enjoy!

M3 followed Terra's lead into the throne room, where the five guests who had arrived by airship were already waiting. Loud greetings were immediately heard between everyone, and the incredible amount of joy was apparent as a large number of hugs were exchanged.

Having already done her greetings with both sets of arrivals, Terra simply stood back and smiled. It was a moment they had all been eagerly anticipating for half a decade, and she was simply going to take it all in. Whatever name they were called—Returners, rescuers, saviors, heroes, the strangest group of friends that history would ever know—all that mattered to twenty-four-year-old Terra Branford at the moment was that their family was finally together under one roof again.

Taking charge of caring for an entire city of orphans had made Terra more observant over the past five years, and the unique greeting gestures that were used between the different members of the family did not escape her eyes. She watched as everyone jumped into Umaro's arms to bear-hug the yeti just the way he liked it. She watched as Sabin practically grabbed Gogo and pulled him in to pat his back while the mime mimicked the monk's gestures with perfectly mirrored symmetry and ferocity. She watched as Gau and Relm danced with Mog in their own playful beat, each trying to emulate the others in movement and style. In so many ways, these greeting gestures alone now brought tender emotions out of Terra that she never would have comprehended five years ago.

Edgar had told her earlier in the day that he was uncertain of just how close everyone remained with each other. It took less than a minute for Terra to confidently assert that their closeness would not be a concern.

Like the others in their family, Terra had to traverse a long road throughout the past half-decade. The love she had started feeling for the orphaned children of Mobliz had given her a second chance to continue her existence as a human, and she made good on her promise to return to the ruined city after using the last of her esper powers to help the group escape from Kefka's tower. Upon arriving back in Mobliz, Terra was greeted by Duane, who informed her that the village had felt her last bits of magic and used the added strength she bestowed upon everyone to provide Katarin the extra encouragement she needed to give birth.

When Terra met the child for the first time, she was overcome with the emotion she had just started to understand and almost fainted from the overwhelming situation. It took a few days for her to fully realize the significance of the child's birth as a symbolic gesture that the cycle of love and life would not be destroyed the way Kefka intended. She did not know it at the time, but it was the first sign that told her the planet would recover.

Without hesitation, Duane and Katarin chose Terra to be the godmother of their child and asked her to suggest a name. Unfamiliar with the process, Terra consulted with Edgar and explained the significance of this birth to him. After some consideration, the Figaro king offered what he called the "perfect" suggestion: Janus.

"It means 'transition' and 'new beginnings,'" Edgar explained to her. "It's perfect for a baby who entered the world at the same time as its rebirth."

Terra trusted Edgar's words and revealed his suggestion to the new parents, who chose to settle on the name. Baby Janus quickly warmed his way into the hearts of the other orphans, which further helped Terra understand just how powerful of an emotion love truly was. Despite Edgar's words of caution that some of the children would become jealous of the attention Janus was receiving, Terra was surprised and relieved to find that jealousy never became an issue; every child took turns helping Duane, Katarin, and her care for the baby. To Terra, it was nothing short of a miracle how such a tiny, innocent life could bond a large group even tighter together, but it was just another concept about love that she gradually learned.

As Janus grew from newborn to toddler, the others in Mobliz grew up as well. Duane and Katarin matured into responsible young adults; the former was no longer the same hot-tempered teenager who feared the unknown, and the latter had become increasingly better at taking charge of the orphans when Terra was not experiencing one of her best days. The younger children were hardly ever an issue, even as they entered the pre-teen phase of their lives; whenever any type of conflict arose, there was literally an entire village to intervene and resolve the conflict before it escalated.

These changes gave Terra more opportunities to devote herself to tasks that did not always involve babysitting the entire population. She began training to fight without magic, learning different combat techniques from Cyan and Sabin when they paid her visits and using these new skills to defend Mobliz from the occasional monster attack. She invited Mog, Umaro, and Gogo to perform for the orphans, whose eyes always lit up with excitement whenever M3 was present in town. She took time to check in on the others, increasing her travels to Thamasa after finding out about Strago's illness and Relm's decision to pause her artistic pursuits in order to tend to his needs.

Perhaps her most important move for Mobliz was securing its protection through Figaro. Knowing she was caring for the orphans, Edgar made sure to watch over Mobliz from the moment he returned to Figaro Castle, supplying her and the city with much-needed essentials even while he was rebuilding his own kingdom. Once Figaro had strengthened again, Terra moved quickly to request for Figaro's soldiers to guard Mobliz and was met personally by Celes when the general led a small contingent to the city. Although Mobliz was not a formal part of the Kingdom of Figaro—the city had no official leader, and Terra never wanted to hold such a position—it was now well-protected enough by Figaro's troops for Terra to no longer worry around the clock about its safety.

Terra had felt guilty for asking so much from Figaro and openly swore on multiple occasions that she would find a way to pay the kingdom back, but both Edgar and Celes insisted that such a gesture would never be necessary.

"You sacrificed your last remaining strength to keep us all alive," Edgar would remind her multiple times throughout the years. "You didn't even know if you would make it, and you selflessly guided us out of Kefka's tower. We all survived because of you. If anything, we're the ones who owe you."

Such high praise from the King of Figaro was difficult for Terra to accept, and it turned out to be another piece of the puzzle known as love that she gradually grew to understand over the years. Edgar's unconditional kindness toward both her and the children of Mobliz was unprecedented, and as much credit as she was showered with for keeping the once-hopeless town alive, Terra knew it would have been impossible to prevail against such odds without Edgar's constant aid.

Edgar personally visited Mobliz as often as possible to make sure she and the orphans were all right, but when he could not, he would send Celes in his place to both check up on Terra and Figaro's Mobliz garrison. As shaky as her history had once been with Celes, Terra was eternally grateful for the general's company during and after Kefka's demise. Their relationship only grew closer, and soon, the two women had become sisters in every sense of the word except by blood. They bonded over practically anything and everything: shared histories of remorse for serving under Gestahl, adapting to life after magic, and even increased understanding of romantic love through both Celes' firsthand experience and Terra's unpolluted perspectives.

Thoughts of Celes widened Terra's smile, and she quickly realized that she still had some unfinished business to tend to. She turned away from the reunited crowd in the throne room and headed back through the halls down the castle's east wing, eventually stopping once she reached the door leading into Celes' temporary private chambers. As she opened the door and walked in, she caught sight of Celes' eyes in the mirror, and the bride quickly tilted her head around to return the smile that Terra never dropped.

"Are they all here now?" Celes asked her.

"Yes, M3 just arrived," Terra answered.

"Oh, I can't wait to see those three!" Celes declared. "Are they going to come in here to see me?"

"They didn't say anything, but I'm sure they will," Terra assured, much to Celes' delight.

Terra resumed her work in helping Celes get ready for the ceremony. Unlike the others, Terra had traveled to Figaro the previous day at Celes' personal request to take part in the preparations. She had left Duane and Katarin in charge of the orphans, responsibilities that they were now more than equipped to handle.

Terra admired her best friend immensely. Unlike herself, who had been enslaved to carry forth the Empire's bidding before she was rescued, Celes had been fully conscious of Emperor Gestahl's actions and chosen to stand up to him when he crossed a threshold that she could not tolerate. Because of this, Celes had to wrestle much harder with her guilt from the past, but she overcame it all to become one of the world's top generals once again. This time, she successfully passed her compassionate personality onto her troops, a personality that Terra had gotten acquainted with thoroughly well.

In addition to all of this, Celes had also opened her own heart to find and accept Locke's love, refusing to let neither her nor his past cast any darkness over the future they planned to build together. It had not been an easy road, and Terra had been present during a rough patch when Celes' guilt threatened to tear her apart from Locke, but Celes' strength prevailed in the end, and it was this same strength that guided her to this blissful day.

Terra never thought much about whether or not she would ever have what Celes had found and forged. She knew that her own struggles with understanding love throughout her life kept her behind others in regards to matters of the heart, but she had seen time after time how love truly did overcome every obstacle. She personally experienced this lesson when her bonds with the orphans in Mobliz kept her alive despite losing her esper half after Kefka's defeat, and in the past five years, she continued to witness events and occasions in which this lesson was repeatedly reinforced.

Love prevented Celes and Locke from drifting and falling apart, even when the gravity of their pasts persistently pulled them in opposite directions. Love kept Duane and Katarin together despite having to forgo a significant chunk of their childhood when the burdens of adult responsibilities were thrown at them faster than they could have ever wanted. Love kept Strago fighting against the impossible and Relm glued to his side to care for him around the clock, even when she was still a child battling with the traumatic realization of her father's true identity. Love bound the hearts of both Relm and Gau to each other in a way nobody could have predicted. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, love was what maintained the closeness of their mismatched family half a decade after their journey had ended.

No, Terra still did not understand everything about love, but if there was one belief she was now fully confident in, it was that love truly was the strongest force in existence. Although she had plenty of evidence to support her confidence in this belief, she needed nothing more at the moment than the sight in front of her to prove it: her best friend, despite all the hardships endured, was in a wedding dress ready to ceremoniously cement her permanent commitment to the man who held her heart.

As Terra finished tying Celes' wedding corset around her back, she could not stop herself from wrapping her arms around her sister and pressing their cheeks together. She held onto Celes, merely letting the elation of the day sink in: their family was reunited, her best friend was marrying the perfect man for her, and she herself continued to feel loved in a way she once never imagined she would ever understand.

"I love you," Terra whispered in Celes' ear. "You deserve this so much."

She felt Celes' face curl upward into a wide grin as the bride's hand came up and softly landed on Terra's other cheek. She closed her eyes and simply allowed herself to soak in the moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I have to admit that this chapter took longer to write than I originally planned. Terra's character has always fascinated me because of just how multidimensional she is, and I don't feel that I can perfectly capture her in a way that addresses every layer of her no matter how much I try to. It's even more challenging when I have to decide whether or not to factor in the loss of her esper side in a post-Kefka world and how that should be done. In the end, I decided to give her a more upbeat resolution; having gone through the experiences and sacrifices that she has, I feel she more than deserves this positivity.
> 
> Anyway, what do you think? Please feel free to leave me your feedback. As always, I love hearing from you!


	8. Locke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Freed from his guilt over Rachel, Locke has settled down with Celes. Not everything has been smooth sailing though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two characters remain. Considering that this entire story has been about their wedding, it's about time I got to their resolutions, isn't it? Please enjoy!

Ever since he was young, Locke Cole would envision himself in the roles of many aspiring titles: elite scout, super spy, grand adventurer, and—of course—world class treasure hunter. Now at thirty-one years old, he could honestly say that he had fulfilled these self-anointed grandiose titles quite nicely. He had done his spying and scouting in his years with the Returners while simultaneously adventuring around the world seeking to discover the next worthwhile fortune.

Traveling while working behind the scenes was an addictive thrill for Locke, and he felt blessed that those closest to him fully understood this to be an inseparable part of his personality. While he had agreed to settle down with Celes in South Figaro after Kefka's downfall, the craving for adventure was always flowing through his bloodstream, and it was only a matter of time before he had to scratch this itch again. Thankfully, Celes embraced his adventurous side, urging him to continue exploring with the promise that he would share whatever treasures he brought home.

Outwardly, Locke still only branded himself as the world's greatest treasure hunter. Inwardly though, he had agreed to continue using his scouting skills for the Kingdom of Figaro. In fact, it was Locke who approached Edgar with the idea of working as his scout; the young king originally did not want his friend to feel obligated to serve any larger entity now that the world's greatest threat had been removed, but Locke informed Edgar that, as much as the kingdom wanted to avoid it, intelligence gathering would be a critical aspect of Figaro's security.

While both king and treasure hunter tried to keep the latter's role secretive, Locke did not doubt that many in the kingdom and in other parts of the planet likely knew that he was more than just another adventurer. After all, considering his reputation prior to the cataclysm, much of the world already recognized him, and a good amount of his work was done out in the open anyway. If anyone found out about his covert operations, he remained unbothered; Locke was simply too quick, too evasive, and too agile that even the most paranoid individuals almost always failed to throw him off their tracks.

All of these factors added together was why he found the man he was staring at in the mirror looking a bit off. As someone who actively explored and uncovered across the world's wildest expanses, Locke simply did not feel right wearing such formal attire, never mind the white wedding shirt and navy-blue doublet he currently had on that was suited for royalty. He had so seldom put on any kind of proper garbs that he could not even recall the last time he did so; such clothes simply felt too suffocating and restrictive for his tastes and practices.

Needless to say, he was more than willing to make an exception for today; more accurately, he was actually making an exception for _them_ , but most specifically for _her_. He and Celes had conquered hurdle after hurdle to finally arrive at this day, and considering how enormous some of those hurdles had been, putting up with some uncomfortable clothing for a few hours would not be important enough for Locke to complain about.

Locke forced a small smile when he started thinking about his past five years with Celes. On the surface, their relationship had always been admired by anyone who remotely knew them. Questions about when they were planning to marry and why they had yet to do so were constantly thrown their way, and both of them would simply answer with the same rehearsed responses. For many in the public and even within their inner circle, five years was too long of a wait for a relationship that seemed so strong and stable.

Few had knowledge about the turmoil that had brewed behind the scenes, turmoil that he and Celes had to painstakingly fight through. While Locke had come to terms with his past after finally helping to put Rachel's spirit to rest, Celes never had the opportunity to settle with her own past. Initially, all seemed to be well between them: she was the one who suggested purchasing a home in South Figaro not too long after Kefka's defeat, and the two of them started off finding work around the area by aiding their neighbors in their own recoveries.

However, despite giving him her approval to continue treasure hunting, their first argument actually occurred when she had suddenly become angry with him over his travels. He was so surprised and appalled by her outburst that he almost stormed out on her for sending him such unreasonable mixed messages, but during their argument, he heard a few choice words she had used—about him being too carefree, too unbothered, and too happy with himself in resuming his adventuring while the world had yet to heal—that hinted at a deeper conflict she was struggling with. Bewildered, he tried to approach her after a reasonable amount of time had passed with the hopes of pinpointing the source of her seething anger, but she refused to open up to him.

Their situation only exacerbated after Edgar offered to have Celes become a general of Figaro's forces. To Locke's surprise, she accepted the position almost immediately and began throwing herself into her work, frequently overexerting her energy to the point where she would return home without any desire to speak with him at all. He tried to stay patient, offering to lend an ear almost every evening and even cutting back on his own travels just to make sure she was well, but she continued declining all of his efforts.

As time passed and no progress seemed to be made, the familiar feeling of guilt began gnawing deeper into Locke's own psyche, and he was not mentally strong enough to prevent his worries from gradually consuming him. Desperate to not allow himself to fail Celes the way he failed Rachel, he grew increasingly determined to get to the bottom of Celes' aloofness, throwing his patience aside and pressing her more often to speak with him. Unfortunately, this only made their situation worse, and slightly over one year after Kefka's downfall, he and Celes hit rock bottom.

Tired of his constant questioning one evening after another intense day of training the troops, Celes snapped, lashing out at him in a fit of rage that he never thought he would ever see in her. She insulted him on everything: his lighthearted personality, his penchant for exploration over staying home, his nonstop insistence on others calling him "treasure hunter" despite being a thief, and any other flaws she could find in him. She accused him of never treating her as anything but Rachel's replacement, always allocating her to being second best. Locke desperately wanted to get angry with her, but his own failure to remove the giant wedge that had been hammered between them completely ate him up that night, and he found himself unable to do anything except take in every one of her vicious remarks, which only provided her with more ammunition to call him a coward for not standing up for himself.

The following days wound up passing without any communication at all between the two of them. Locke was sincerely at a loss on what he could do to help Celes fight her demons. He could not get through to her, but he refused to seek help from anyone—including their inner circle—since he considered these matters of their relationship to be private. If he was honest, he did sporadically contemplate whether or not leaving Celes would have been for the best. After all, shame and inadequacy were consuming his soul, stripping him of the happy-go-lucky attitude that he was well-known for, and being deprived of his own positivity meant that he increasingly doubted in his ability to provide for Celes the way he most desired.

However, help wound up coming from an unlikely source. While Locke was on a scouting mission to Mobliz, Terra pulled him aside and informed him that Celes had confided quite a bit of her own feelings. Terra let Locke know that, while Celes did not provide her with too many specific details, the former did divulge enough that the latter sensed the gravity of the situation and urged Locke to continue being the patient support beacon that Celes desperately needed.

"It's her own guilt," Terra revealed to Locke. "I share it with her, since we both served the Empire. You had a chance to find your peace, but Celes hasn't. We each do it differently. She's just having a more difficult time."

Speaking with Terra made Locke realize that his entire approach to the conflict required a complete overhaul. He had been either too passive or too aggressive, waiting for Celes to open up to him or trying to force her to speak rather than actively working to ease her into much-needed conversations. When she predictably sealed herself further off from him, he had spent too long drowning in fear of repeating his own past failure that he never refocused his attention onto meeting her actual needs. Her cries for help had become increasingly louder, and yet Locke's responses were just as ineffective as plugging his ears throughout her entire ordeal.

Locke acted on a new plan, personally requesting Edgar to grant Celes leave to temporarily relieve her of her duties as general. By then, he had suspected that Celes had originally accepted Edgar's offer quickly due to being trapped within her own insecurities, and his suspicions were proven correct when her confession slipped up during their conversation on her first night off-duty. When Celes found out that he had been the one to ask Edgar for her leave, she angrily accused him of wanting to remove her from her position, but to her surprise, Locke actually urged her to continue serving once her leave was over. He complimented her on her achievements thus far, having already shown signs of molding the Figaro army into the disciplined fighting force that Edgar was envisioning, and gave her some encouraging words to shape them into their very best.

It took a few more days of hopeful conversations before Celes finally openly admitted that her guilt had been the driving force behind her horrible treatment of him. When the tears finally started falling, they flowed out rapidly as she clutched him and repeatedly apologized, unable to find the words to convey just how awful she had felt about lashing all of her anger at him. Locke simply held her and allowed her to pour her heart out, promising her over and over that he would be by her side to help her navigate through her trying times.

The walls that Celes had put up were gradually torn down piece by piece afterward. She was still not fully recovered when she returned to her job, but she was at peace with herself enough to no longer exhaust all of her energy into her work the way she had done previously. The soldiers also mentioned that she had begun treating them with more sympathy instead of drilling them as if they were machines, and when the increasingly positive feedback reached Locke's and Edgar's ears, they could not help but smile, recognizing that the true Celes they were familiar with was finally returning.

Locke knew that Celes was strong enough to eventually conquer her demons, but even he could not have imagined the extent of Celes' strength. Once she fully realized that she was no longer bound by the shackles of her past, Celes completely rebuilt her own reputation through her guidance of Figaro's army, turning from one of Gestahl's most feared commanders into a universally respected leader who was admired across the planet. Celes herself was too humble to acknowledge it, but Edgar made it no secret that she was the reason Figaro's troops were always warmly greeted wherever they went, and in his scouting missions, Locke would repeatedly hear young children mention how they wanted to be as strong and compassionate as Celes when they grew up.

Of course, for Locke, Celes was far more than a general and friend. Once Celes had rediscovered her own strength, Locke leaned on her time after time to guide him through any dark clouds he also happened to encounter. Celes was the reason Locke no longer felt the crushing burdens of his own guilt, including the guilt he drowned under when their relationship was threatening to implode. Celes was the reason he continued to scout and explore with enthusiasm, knowing she would be waiting for him in a place he could genuinely call home every time he returned. It may have taken some time before he would fully admit it, but Celes Chere had truly stolen his heart, and he had become a far better person as a result. He was so certain of his commitment to her that it almost felt anticlimactic when he finally proposed.

"Hey, you okay there?" came a voice from behind him, and Locke turned around to see Terra's head poking in through the door.

"Yeah, I am," he answered her.

"Good to know," she responded. "Everyone is here. Whenever you're ready, come on out."

Locke gave Terra a sincere smile of appreciation in return as she disappeared back into the hallway. Deep down, he felt that he could never thank her enough for her role in saving his relationship with Celes. Without Terra's guidance, Locke knew that this day would never have come to fruition.

He took one final look at himself in the mirror, straightening out his attire before exiting his dressing room. He made his way down the halls before pulling the door open to the throne room.

Locke did not even have a chance to admire the decorations, because the moment he entered the room where the wedding was set to take place, he was greeted by a loud roar of onlookers. One by one, they met him as he made his way up to the aisle, each greeting him in their own unique way: Sabin and he bumped forearms, Cyan gave him a slight bow, Setzer patted his shoulder, Gau slapped a high-five with him, Relm hugged him tightly, Mog danced joyously, Gogo mirrored a perfect handshake, and Umaro briefly hoisted him into the air. Locke spent a few minutes chatting with everyone, accepting their congratulations and blushing uncontrollably as they sung his praises.

The warmth of having the family together again was so euphoric that Locke did not even notice Edgar standing in the front between the two thrones with another figure. When he finally took a glance in the king's direction, his eyes widened in shock, and only one thought crossed his mind.

"Celes is going to faint from excitement when she comes out here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Considering it's his wedding and that I had not mentioned him too many times throughout the story until now, I believe that Locke deserves a longer chapter compared with the others so that no detail about him is left unsaid. I hope you enjoyed reading about his journey to his big day; I really wanted to make it feel as though he has earned and fully deserves it.
> 
> All right, one character to go, and we all know who it is. See you next chapter!


	9. Celes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> General, opera singer, and now bride-to-be. What else can Celes Chere lay claim to?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've finally arrived at the last character, and it's none other than the bride herself. Quite a bit has already been revealed from the resolutions of the other characters, but just like her introductory text in the actual game indicates, there is far more to her than what meets the eye. Enjoy the longest of all the characters' resolutions!

It took quite a bit of willpower for Celes to finally release Mog from their hug and let M3 leave her temporary chambers. Throughout the past half hour, every member of the family had been paying her visits while she continued her preparations for the ceremony. M3 had been the last, and by the time of their visit, the twenty-four-year-old bride could no longer hold back the tears of joy welling up in her eyes that she had been fighting against.

The general in her had refused to cry, but Celes Chere had always been more than just a general, and the friend in her eventually overruled her military toughness. She did not cry when Sabin complimented her strength nor when Cyan praised her for her honor. She did not cry when Gau and Relm fawned over how gorgeous she looked in her gown or how much they admired her and Locke's relationship as a model for their own. She did not cry when Setzer credited her with helping him rediscover his potential, even giving him a laugh when he joked with her about how the two of them should already be happily married to each other. However, the aggregation of all her friends' visits combined with having not seen M3 since she became engaged to Locke finally sent Celes' tears flowing. She had to apologize to Umaro for smudging some of her makeup onto his fur, but the yeti took it in great stride.

Celes re-approached the vanity and wiped the tears from her face. As she re-applied the tiny blemishes of makeup that her tears had slightly smeared, thoughts about how fortunate she had been started running through her mind.

She was not even supposed to be alive at this moment, let alone marrying the man who rescued her from the brink of death. For all the victories she had been responsible for while serving under Emperor Gestahl, her decision to uphold honor over duty instantly sent her to her execution. She did not know why fate had brought Locke to her that day—she was even prepared to die with dignity—but his genuine desire to keep her protected even while knowing she was the enemy stunned her enough to give him a chance. After all, it was honor that brought her to him, and it was honor that he showed in saving her.

Little did she know it would be the best decision she would ever make.

Locke and she survived a false accusation of betrayal. They then survived the literal apocalypse. They survived his wounded heart. They survived over a year of her guilt-ridden drama. They rebuilt their lives around each other, strengthening the bonds that had started forming on that fateful day in the basement of the South Figaro manor that now stood only steps from their current home. It was still baffling to wonder how exactly they did it, but somehow, some way, they had permanently latched onto each other's hearts and reached their wedding day.

Celes smirked at imagining what Locke might be feeling at the moment, venturing a guess toward the likelihood that he was fussing about his annoyance and discomfort over adorning his wedding garbs. He would certainly not gripe about it out in the open, especially not on his wedding day, but she knew him well enough to safely assume that he was probably counting down the seconds until he could shed his current attire for something more suitable to his free-spirited personality.

Her chamber doors opened, and Terra stepped back in.

"I think those three were gushing about your dress more than Relm was," Terra remarked, earning a slight giggle from the bride as she sat back down and let her companion continue to prepare her for the ceremony.

To say that Celes was thankful for Terra would be the biggest understatement anyone on the planet could make. Locke may be the one who held Celes' heart, but Terra was the one who shared her soul. Ironically, for a woman who claimed that she could not understand love throughout much of her life, Terra had taught Celes more about love than anyone else she had ever known. Celes may have learned about compassion initially from Cid, but it was Terra's influence that finally helped her understand the full extent and impact of her emotions.

Celes remembered the evening before the group assaulted Kefka's tower when she first confided in Terra. It was the first time that the general in her had openly shared her genuine fear, expressing her hesitancy over the very likely possibility that their ragtag team would not survive their final mission. It was also when she realized the chance that, even if they did succeed, Terra's esper lineage may prevent her from existing beyond the end.

While she expected some sort of nervousness on Terra's part, Celes was genuinely surprised that Terra was more motivated than the others to carry forth with their objective. Terra confidently declared that she had found too many reasons to fight—the orphans of Mobliz, the future of the planet, and especially the well-being of their mismatched family—to allow fear and sorrow to hold her back. Her confidence projected onto the group once the fight began, and her selflessness in sacrificing her remaining strength to guide the group out of Kefka's tower was the reason any of them lived to tell the tale.

Life without magic was a learning process for everyone, but nobody expected that Terra would have the smoothest transition; after all, she was the only one who lost an entire half of her lineage. While Celes, Strago, and Relm all suffered from withdrawal symptoms, casting off her esper side wound up making Terra feel as though she had been completely freed from the all the burdens that magic had caused her. This, in combination with the guilt that they both shared, was why Terra became the beacon that Celes leaned on for both physical and emotional support in a post-magic world.

Guilt for serving as a Gestahlian commander first crept into Celes shortly after the dust had settled on Kefka's defeat. Although she had stayed with Locke in South Figaro, Celes frequently traveled to Mobliz—especially when Locke was away on his adventures—to seek out Terra, feeling as though nobody else matched the former esper's level of empathy. They openly discussed all of their regrets about being used as puppets under Gestahl's power-hungry moves and the strangeness in their bodies of suddenly living without magic, bonding even tighter over their sorrows and awkward changes. Her hope was that, by mutually confiding their remorse, Celes would find the outlet she needed to rid herself of her past burdens.

Tragically, her guilt wound up sinking her deeper into a depressive state, and Celes desperately tried to seek out distractions to dispel such feelings. This was why she did not hesitate to take Edgar up on his offer to become a general for Figaro; even though it meant returning to her old line of work, Celes felt it would be a welcomed interruption from her increasingly nagging repentance. Unfortunately, she grossly miscalculated, and as her regrets continued to pile up around her, she began losing more control over her emotions.

Celes' internal strife manifested itself into an aggressive exterior, culminating in weeks of angry outbursts from dawn through well-after dusk. The Figaro army took a large brunt of it when she let her rage loose on them during their training sessions, refusing to show them any signs of satisfaction at any of their progress. When she could not dissipate her frustrations at work, she carried them home to Locke, lashing out at him over every tiny fault she could find. Externally, she knew she had become a raw nightmare, but internally, she was desperately screaming for help, trying to find any method possible to destroy the demons from her past that refused to leave her alone.

During this turbulent time, the only person who she could not bring herself to be angry with was Terra, and to this day, Celes still did not fully understand why. It felt almost as though her visits to Mobliz—sometimes alone and sometimes with the army—became a calming mechanism. As if by intuition, Terra knew the chaos that had polluted Celes' mind was from her unresolved guilt, and it was Terra who empowered her through messages of love to regain enough strength to avoid being swallowed by her augmenting rage. She later learned that Terra had also counseled Locke, urging him to avoid giving into any dark thoughts he may have had about losing faith in their relationship, which further solidified her already-resilient bonds with the former esper.

When Locke surprised her by asking Edgar to grant her leave, Celes initially showed him her frustration; however, when his response was unexpected praise, the walls that her ghosts had surrounded her with to keep him out began crumbling. Afterward, it took only a few days for him to break through the stubborn barriers that had been erected, and once he did, she gave herself to him completely. Celes cried harder than she had ever cried; even Cid's death had not caused her to shed as many tears compared with the much-needed breakdown she had in front of Locke.

She remembered the comfort of his arms when he held her tightly. She remembered his soothing words, offering her instant forgiveness and reassuring her that he would fight her demons alongside her. She remembered feeling a new wave of guilt, one that replaced the remorse she held for serving under Gestahl with the remorse she now harbored for attempting to tear apart the man who loved her. Then, just as quickly, she remembered how he sternly and affectionately ordered her to absolve herself of that newfound guilt, adamantly insisting that there was no longer anything left for him to exonerate.

Gradually, with Locke's expertise, Celes let go of her past and channeled the lessons she had learned in productive ways to yield far more positive results. For the first time ever, she began to actually enjoy her work as a general, taking time to know her soldiers rather than treat them solely as chess pieces. When Edgar noticed that she was back to her old self, he did not hesitate to promote her to head commander of Figaro's entire army. She felt secure enough to refortify the ties that she shared with the other members of their mismatched family, including paying Strago frequent visits and being inspired by his own strength after she received the news of his illness. Most importantly, she allowed herself to start falling for Locke all over again, and once their spark was reignited, Celes made sure this time that it would stay lit.

As Terra put the finishing touches on her wedding gown, Celes realized yet again the enormous number of blessings that she had been dealt. Six years ago, she had been a day away from her execution. She was not supposed to be rescued, but she was. She and her rescuer were not supposed to fall for each other, but they did. She was not supposed to survive throwing herself off the cliff on Solitary Island, but she did. Then, after bonding with a group of unlikely heroes and saving the world from the most vile and shrewd madman—feats that were never supposed to happen either—her guilt should have torn her apart from her love and brought about her doom, but he actually chose to stand beside her and helped her conquer the ghosts of her past. She did not know what she had ever done to deserve so many blessings, but she had long since vowed to never acquiesce to her guilt again.

Terra finished her work, and Celes reached into the vanity's drawer to grab the final item she insisted on wearing for the wedding. She unfurled the navy-blue bandana—the same one that had found its way to her via the seagull when she regained consciousness on the beaches of Solitary Island—wrapping it around her forehead and under her hair. She knew it would stand out from her all-white wedding attire, but the item was simply too priceless to her heart for her to exclude.

"You look so beautiful," Terra complimented upon placing the translucent veil atop her head over the bandana. "Okay, it's time. Ready?"

Celes stood up and gave herself a final glance in the mirror. She would never openly display any vanity, but she truly did look gorgeous. Terra had come through for her once again.

The bride turned around and enveloped Terra in a warm, tight embrace, pressing their cheeks together and burying her head in Terra's neck while rocking her green-haired friend back and forth and refusing to release her.

"Thank you," Celes whispered. "I'll never be able to repay you for everything you've done for me."

"We're sisters," Terra remarked in return. "We'll always look out for each other."

As if making good on her word, the moment they parted from their embrace, Terra grabbed a handkerchief and dabbed the corners of Celes' eyes to prevent any tears from running down and smudging her makeup for a second time. This brought out a slight giggle from the bride as she fought back even harder to keep new tears from forming. Terra then handed Celes the silk bouquet that Cyan had made before guiding her out of the chambers and down the hallway until they reached the doors to the throne room. They stood off to the side while Terra gave her final instructions.

"Everyone is ready," she informed. "The moment you hear the music, the guards will open the doors. You'll know exactly how to march. Trust me."

That comment brought about a look intrigue from Celes, but she did not ask any questions. She simply responded with a nod for Terra to exit into the throne room first, leaving Celes alone to await the start of her moment.

As she waited, Celes closed her eyes and let her memory drift back to several months ago when she finally knew this day would be realized.

* * *

_Locke brought her on his latest treasure hunt, telling her that he had discovered something previously hidden within the caves of Mt. Zozo. They trekked through all the caves, yet they found nothing. They decided to take a break at the peak before heading down._

_"You know, when we found Cyan here, we were so focused on him and our mission that I never took the time to admire the view," Celes commented, staring off into the distance._

_"Well, now you get a chance to enjoy it," Locke remarked from behind her._

_Celes detected a hint of nervousness in his voice, and her intuition kicked in._

_"Locke?" she asked, turning around. "Is everything okay?"_

_He walked up to her and took her left hand in between his two._

_"Celes," he began speaking, "we met in a deep, dark room under a giant mansion in South Figaro. It was both figuratively and literally the lowest point for either of us at the time. But this mountain…this is the highest point on the planet. It's also the highest point that a man like me can reach by himself."_

_It was at that moment when he dropped to one knee and pulled out a silver ring from one of his pockets. Celes could only gasp in shock._

_"But with you," he continued, denying her a chance to put her surprise into words, "there are no limits to how high we can climb. This is the treasure that I discovered hidden here. It's yours if you're willing to take me higher. Let's see how high we can reach…together."_

_"Yes!" she exclaimed without a shred of hesitation almost instantly after he finished speaking. "Of course I'll marry you!"_

* * *

Music started playing in the throne room through Edgar's noiseblaster tool, which Celes knew he had long ago reconfigured to broadcast and entertain instead of confuse. The soothing hymn brought her back to the present, and she steadied herself for the big moment that was now only seconds away. She took a few deep breaths as the doors were pulled open from the other side, then stepped forward into the aisle, revealing herself in her full bridal gown for everyone to see.

What froze her in place was not the presence of her family though, despite their eyes and smiles glued to her. It was not even Locke, whose jaw was wide open as he stared at her, unable to blink. Instead, it was the figure standing off to the side of the twin thrones: a blond-haired damsel dressed in an elegant opera gown who looked like her carbon copy.

"Maria…" Celes mouthed, knowing that the entire room saw her stunned expression as she did so.

Everyone who was present, including the opera performer, broadened their grins and nodded in her direction. Celes beamed back in response, giving herself a few seconds to soak in both the surprise and the scene as a whole. Once the feeling of astonishment washed over her, she found the resolve to begin her walk down the aisle, never dropping her smile.

As soon as Celes took her first gradual steps, Maria's melodic soprano voice bellowed throughout the throne room in perfect harmony with the music.

_"O my hero, my beloved,_

_We shall never be apart,_

_The promises of perennial love_

_Yet sing here in my heart..."_

A distant memory of her own performance triggered in Celes' mind, and she instantly recognized that some of the lyrics had been changed.

_"Through the darkness, we're the starlight_

_Shining brightly from afar._

_In hours of despair, I offered my prayer_

_That you're my evening star."_

She continued her walk and redirected her attention to Locke, who still had not taken his widened eyes off her.

_"As my final vows exchanged_

_Shall now grant my heart to you!_

_With you being here to quiet my fear…_

_Your love guides me anew."_

She could no longer hold back the tear in her eye. With both of her hands gripping the bouquet, she allowed the droplet to cascade down her face.

_"I am thankful, my beloved,_

_For your tenderness and grace._

_I see in your eyes, so gentle and wise,_

_All doubts and fears erased!"_

As she neared the twin thrones where Locke was standing, Celes briefly closed her eyes and simply let Maria's voice carry her through her final steps.

_"Though the hours take no notice_

_Of what fate might have in store,_

_Our love, come what may, will never age a day._

_We're now forevermore!"_

She reached Locke just as Maria finished her last words. It was precisely as Terra had predicted: she knew exactly how to march. She turned to face Locke, finally able to fully observe the amusing sight of him dressed as elegantly as a grand duke.

"Hey," was all Celes managed to say.

"Hey," came Locke's response, "and wow!"

Celes had to suppress a giggle. His words may have been simple, but they were pure Locke.

Edgar stepped forward from between the twin thrones, taking his place to officiate the wedding.

"How's that for a surprise?" Edgar quietly quipped at her. "She rewrote those lyrics just for you, you know."

"I'll make sure to thank her later," Celes replied graciously.

"Fantastic," Edgar acknowledged in a soft murmur. "Are you ready?"

Both Celes and Locke gave their king friend a nod.

"Then let's begin."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I planned to have Maria sing at the wedding from the moment I started brainstorming this story. After all, is there any song that's better for Celes to walk down the aisle to than her own theme? Of course, I couldn't keep the actual lyrics, since those are about a love lost instead of one that is found, so I had to rewrite a few lines. Also, I based my rewrite on the GBA lyrics (which sound smoother) instead of the SNES translation.
> 
> That covers every character's individual resolution, but this story isn't over. There will be three more chapters to wrap up the entire tale, and I hope you'll continue to enjoy the rest of it.
> 
> As always, please feel free to leave me feedback. I love hearing from you! Until next time!


	10. New Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Celes and Locke aren't the only ones looking at a new beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With every character's resolution now covered, the story must press on. A huge thank you to everyone who has been following this story through this point. I know FF6 doesn't have the largest fanbase, but there are plenty of dedicated fans out there, and I can only hope that what I'm writing is satisfying enough for you. Okay, onward!

"Friends, family," Edgar spoke, projecting his voice across the throne room, "we're gathered here to celebrate a day we've waited six years for: the matrimonial union of Celes Chere and Locke Cole."

The king took a quick scan across the confines to see smiles on everyone's faces (including Gogo, who could not hide his grin from Edgar despite his multiple layers of clothing). Seating was evenly spread out: Terra, Sabin, Setzer, and Gogo were on one side, while Cyan, Gau, Mog, and Umaro occupied the other. Relm had placed her easel in the middle of the aisle slightly farther back from the front row and was hidden behind her canvas, and Edgar could see from the rapid stroking of her brush that she had already begun to immortalize the moment.

"The journey that these two have taken to reach this day is, in many ways, a microcosm of all of our journeys through our lives," Edgar continued. "Their meeting, like most of our meetings with the people we encounter, was unplanned. They fell in love when they did not expect to. They've experienced their fair share of highs and lows, and throughout it all, they've shown us how the true strength of love can overcome any adversity. They define both dedication and resiliency."

Edgar then turned his focus back onto the bride and groom themselves.

"Celes, Locke," he said to them in a slightly toned-down volume that was still loud enough for the entire room to hear, "we all feel fortunate to have you be such an inseparable part of our lives, fortunate that you've been willing to share so much of your journey together with us. We know you don't need it, and we know it's clearly unnecessary for us to say it, but we still want to give you our collective blessing for your union."

Both Celes and Locke mouthed a joint "thank you" to the king before turning back to face each other.

"I shall now step aside and yield the floor to the bride and groom as they make their vows," Edgar finished up, nodding and taking a step back.

"Locke," Celes spoke first, "when we first met, you rescued me from certain doom. When the world ended, you became the hope in my hour of doubt. When our quest was completed, you made sure our story continued. When I succumbed to my darkness, you were there to pull me back into the light. When I didn't believe in us, you believed for both of us. You're the reason I'm standing here today, and you're the reason I want to stand beside you forever, as yours and only yours."

A few sniffles could be heard from the audience. Even Edgar himself was finding it difficult to not shed a tear, but he managed to maintain his cheerful smile.

"Celes," Locke began, "we met during a time in my life when little made sense. But soon, amidst all the chaos, you became my clarity. You healed my heart when it was wounded. You allowed me to be myself while your love and care made me a better version of myself, stronger and wiser than I'd ever been. There's no other person I'd want to spend forever with but you. I cannot wait for us to continue our journey side-by-side."

Edgar gave the attendees a few seconds to let their emotions out. As he looked around the room, he saw that everyone was now desperately trying to hold themselves together. Terra was already showing signs that she had been crying, Cyan was leaning forward with his head in his hands, Sabin was biting his lower lip, Gau and Mog were clutching each other while taking deep breaths, Setzer was rapidly rubbing his face, and even Umaro's and Gogo's eyes were starting to water. He could not see Relm's expression, but Edgar detected the slight trembling of the teen girl's arm as she tried to continue painting through the stirring moment.

Composing himself, Edgar stepped forward to resume his duties.

"Celes Chere," he spoke, "do you take Locke Cole to be your wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'til death do you part?"

"Of course I do," Celes softly answered with affection.

"Locke Cole," Edgar continued, "do you take Celes Chere to be your wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'til death do you part?"

"Absolutely I do," Locke responded with equal warmth.

"Then by the authority vested in me as King of Figaro, I now pronounce you husband and wife," Edgar declared, then flashed Locke a slightly playful smile. "Just kiss her already, you big lug!"

Locke hooked his arms around Celes' waist and brought her lips to his, and as she responded by clutching him around his neck, the throne room erupted into cheers. For anyone who may have been watching from afar, it was difficult to believe that there were only nine guests and a few guards around, because the noise level suddenly made it feel as though an entire crowd had exploded in excitement.

* * *

"Here," Relm said, handing the painting to Locke. "It should be dry by now."

"Oh, my goodness!" Locke exclaimed. "Relm! This is beyond words!"

It truly was a magnificent painting that captured the wedding in almost picture-perfect realism. Not only had Relm managed to encapsulate the atmosphere exactly as it was set up, but her detailed depictions of everyone's expressions also accurately showcased the mood of the entire ceremony. Locke was completely flabbergasted by the reminder of her talent.

"Attention, everyone!" Locke called out, and the banquet hall was silent in an instant. "Look at what Relm painted."

Gasps were heard from every person as their eyes landed on the finished product.

"Relm, you did all this?" Celes, who had been speaking with Terra on the side, cried with joy. "It's…it's…"

"Oh, come on!" Relm responded slightly exasperated. "You act like you've never seen my art before."

Celes walked up to admire the painting for a few seconds before approaching Relm.

"Thank you," she said beamingly to the girl. "Locke and I will cherish this forever."

Relm temporarily dropped her spunky exterior and gave the newlyweds a genuine smile of appreciation.

"You're very welcome," the teen replied. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to paint this reception too."

She walked away as Locke placed the painting in the front of the room, on display for everyone to view for the duration of the reception. He then returned to Celes, who flashed him the radiant smile he always loved. The two of them panned their eyes across the hall that Edgar had set up to host their reception, seeing their friends now separated into smaller cliques with each holding their own conversations.

"We're so lucky to have them," Celes remarked.

"Yeah," Locke reaffirmed. "We definitely are."

* * *

"Sir Sabin," Cyan called out, walking up to his old friend. "My daughter has a favor to ask of thee."

"Lola?" Sabin asked. "What can I help her with?"

"As thou know, I have trained her in the art of bushido," Cyan replied. "Yet she wishes to further her skills by learning novel combat styles."

"Really?" Sabin said.

"Indeed," Cyan answered. "She believes she can grow stronger by combining her knowledge from bushido with other disciplines. Would thou be willing to take her on as another disciple?"

Sabin could only let out a small laugh at Cyan's question.

"Like you even have to ask, Cyan," he remarked. "Of course I'll train her!"

* * *

"How long have you three had that chocobo?" Setzer asked.

"He's been with us since the beginning, kupo," Mog answered. "We rely on him for pretty much everything, kupo."

"Hmm, he's getting up there in years then, isn't it?" Setzer questioned.

"Yeah, he is, kupo," Mog said. "But he's still very tough and strong, kupo."

"Oh, I have no doubt he is," Setzer remarked. "But I still want to propose something to you: how would the three of you like to team up with me for a while and entertain for the Falcon Casino? It'll make your travel faster, and your chocobo can take some time off."

Setzer watched as Mog gave him a look of intrigue. He had wanted to ask if M3 could come along with him for some time, but their paths did not always cross due to differing schedules.

"I'll need to talk with Umaro and Gogo first, kupo," Mog responded.

"Of course," Setzer reassured. "Take all the time you need. No rush at all."

"Thank you, kupo," Mog said smiling, then walked away to join in another conversation.

Setzer perused the room once Mog was gone, seeing all of his friends in the middle of their own chats. He started to wonder which group he should hitch himself onto next, but before he could even get a thought out, a voice from behind him caught his attention.

"So, you're the famous Setzer Gabbiani," the lady said.

Setzer's head turned and met her eyes.

"Maria," he acknowledged. "We finally speak."

"Indeed, we do," the opera star affirmed. "I heard you once pined for my affection."

"I may have," he chuckled, then decided to humor her a little more. "Perhaps I still do."

"Hah!" she gave him a slight snicker. "Don't push your luck, gambler. I'm here at the invitation of the King of Figaro to sing for the young lady who saved me from you."

"Oh, I know," Setzer shrugged. "Have you had a chance to speak with her yet?"

"Of course," she answered. "I owed her for what she did. It's hard to believe she's a general. To this day, the impresario continues to rave about her lone performance of my role."

"I owe her my gratitude as well," Setzer added. "She's a great motivator."

A brief silence fell between the two, providing Maria with the opportunity to steer the dialogue in another direction as both of them continued to keep their eyes on the room.

"So, I've heard that you've built quite the reputation for yourself," she said. "You wound up saving the planet, your airship casino is a sight for sore eyes everywhere, and you've used your earnings to aid in plenty of rebuilding projects."

"I'm just doing what I can," Setzer responded, unsure of how to handle her sudden praise.

"No need to be so humble," she teased. "You've shown the world you have a good heart. It's not a trait everyone possesses."

"What can I say?" he remarked. "I'm blessed to have such positively influential friends."

Maria turned her eyes in Setzer's direction and slowly approached him, drawing a slightly puzzled look across the gambler's face.

"You know, as much as I feared you all those years ago for trying to kidnap me, there was always a part of me that wanted to experience the thrill of riding on an airship," she admitted, and Setzer could see her cheeks turning slightly pink. "Perhaps it might not be out of the ordinary for me to request such a favor from you now?"

Setzer could only grin. Had he been six years younger, he would have jumped for joy at receiving such a request from the beautiful opera singer, but he was far more mature and composed now to respond in such a manner.

"Aren't you afraid I might kidnap you?" he quipped.

"Maybe," she answered. "But isn't gambling all about risk?"

That brought a laugh out of Setzer.

"I can't argue with that," he admitted. "If that's what you want, then I'd welcome you aboard."

The two exchanged smiles of appreciation.

* * *

Edgar scanned the room after another enjoyable chat. The reception was into its third hour by now, and the conversations never died down, highlighting just how much the family missed each other. While he indulged in his fair share of socializing, Edgar's main focus remained on Relm's progress with her second painting. As she started putting the finishing touches on it, Edgar knew it was time to move on with the plan.

Only a select few within their family knew what was about to happen. Edgar's eyes caught those who did and gave each of them a nod, signaling that the moment had come. They nonchalantly moved themselves into position, acting completely normal and raising no suspicions. Edgar himself returned to the front of the banquet hall.

Relm completed her work and brought it to Edgar. The king simply stared for a few seconds, still awestruck by the artistic talents of the sixteen-year-old. The reception was beautifully painted: the decorations in the hall were just as colorful as they actually looked, and every participant (including Maria) wore a different expression on his or her face that highlighted each individual's distinct personalities. Relm even made sure to paint both Strago and Shadow into the background, implying their spiritual presence.

"Unbelievable," Edgar remarked to the teen.

She rolled her eyes in response, but it was in a way that suggested she was both appreciative and playfully apprehensive about the compliment, a way that reflected the personality everybody loved about her.

"Look here, everyone!" Edgar called out to the room. "Relm has done it again!"

Every pair of eyes turned toward the painting, and multiple utters of "wow" could be heard.

"Relm," Celes spoke first before anyone else had a chance, "how do you keep outdoing yourself like this?"

"Come on, Celes," Relm responded in her distinctly sassy voice. "I just do what I love."

"Well, it looks incredible as always," Celes remarked, then glanced across the room to make sure she had everyone else's attention. "In fact, I feel like I should give you something in return."

Before Relm could respond, Celes walked up to the girl and handed her the silk bouquet that she had held for her wedding. This drew a look of confusion from Relm and puzzled stares from some of the others.

"Your bouquet?" the girl asked.

"Yes," Celes confirmed.

"Aren't you supposed to toss it for Terra, Maria, and me to catch?" Relm wondered.

"I'm choosing not to," Celes responded, placing it in the teen's hands and quickly stepping aside without giving her a chance to say anything else.

The moment Celes moved away, Gau moved in and gently took one of Relm's hands.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Relm finally managed to say with a mixture of surprise and bewilderment.

"Relm," Gau spoke, "Gau love you. We still young and learning. We still changing. But Gau know love for Relm won't change. Love for you permanent. We not Celes and Locke. We not ready yet. Gau don't even have ring yet. But when we ready, Gau want to know if Relm will marry Gau."

"You're supposed to get down on one knee, Gau!" Sabin lightheartedly instructed, earning a laugh from everyone in the room. Gau flushed red and kneeled as he was told.

Relm remained floored by the sudden proposal. Edgar watched as her expression shifted from shocked and confused to overwhelmed. The room was silent, but in a respectful manner, fully understanding how strenuous the moment could be for the teen artist.

"Uh…" she finally managed to utter after some time. "I don't know, Gau. I'd have to ask my grandfather how he feels about this first."

Edgar knew she likely expected Gau to flash a hint of disappointment and was likely even more confused when the feral boy's smile just grew wider. The king's eyes turned to the back of the banquet hall, knowing what was coming.

"No need, Lady Relm," Cyan's voice rose from the other side, redirecting everyone's eyes to follow Edgar's. The Doman warrior was holding up a scroll in his hand. "Your grandfather has already given his answer."

Cyan unfurled the scroll and began reading.

"I, Strago Magus of Thamasa, hereby grant my heartfelt blessing to the union of Celes Chere and Locke Cole. May their marriage bring eternal happiness. In addition, I inform all in attendance that the child Gau has sought me out to ask for my granddaughter's hand, and I have granted him my complete blessing to do so."

Cyan walked across the banquet hall and showed Relm the scroll. Edgar knew that anyone in their family who peered at the text would have identified it as Strago's unique handwriting and signature without a second glance.

After staring at her grandfather's words for several long seconds, Relm looked up at Cyan.

"How many of you were in on this?" she demanded.

"'Twas only Sir Gau, thy grandfather, Lady Celes, King Edgar, and yours truly," Cyan admitted.

"It's true," Locke said, and his expression showed his honesty. "Celes didn't even tell me she was going to do this. Terra?"

"I didn't know either," Terra responded, displaying the same surprised reaction.

Edgar watched Relm's eyes peruse the room, still refusing to believe what was happening. Approximately half a minute later, she finally returned her attention to Gau and took a deep breath.

"Yes, Gau," she answered him. "Yes, I will."

Gau swooped Relm into a tight embrace and rocked her back and forth. He did not kiss her, and Edgar knew it was because Relm disliked participating in overt public displays of affection. However, Relm, who always refused to show anything that could be considered a sign of weakness while in front of a crowd, did finally let her tears of happiness flow as she clutched Gau equally as tightly.

The entire room applauded for at least a whole minute while the two youngest members of the family shared their moment. Once the clapping had died down and everyone dispersed back into small conversation groups again, Edgar simply stood and internally reveled in the events of the day.

"You're amazing, you know that?" came a familiar lady's voice from his side.

Edgar turned to give his attention to Terra, noticing that the two of them were now in their own area of the hall away from the earshot of others.

"Putting together this wedding, setting up that proposal…" Terra continued, "doing all that while still running a kingdom around the clock."

"I can't take all the credit," he responded with sincere humility. "Castle staff did most of the work."

She walked a few steps closer to him, shifting her glance to their family once she had gotten near enough to be within his arm's length.

"You know, I've been thinking lately," she spoke again. "I've learned a lot about love in the time I've been with this family. I can understand much of it now, and I'm lucky enough to have experienced feeling love for the children all these years. But being here today and seeing how far romantic love can go…would it be selfish of me to want to experience that as well?"

"Not at all," Edgar replied, although he was a tad uncertain over what she was implying.

"In that case," Terra continued, "would it be a burden to ask if you're willing to show me?"

He had now grown truly confused. He stared at her for a few seconds, unsure if he had heard her correctly.

"Come again?" he asked.

"Edgar," she responded, still not looking in his direction, "I'm not afraid to say I've grown fond of you. Your support has helped me keep my promises to the children in Mobliz, but more importantly, your noble-hearted friendship has been priceless. I don't exactly know how to initiate a romantic partnership, and I don't have the experience of Celes or even Relm, but I'm willing to try it with you if you're willing to give it a chance."

Now Edgar was completely speechless. His mind, normally as steady as a leader's needed to be, was racing to piece together what Terra had just said, still refusing to believe what he heard. Was Terra, one of his dearest friends, asking for an opportunity to be with him? It made no sense to his brain, as it was usually he who initiated any flirtatious behavior.

"Terra, you don't have to do this," he said, finding his words jumbled. "I would never ask something like this out of you."

"But you're not," she reminded him. "I'm the one asking you."

She snaked one arm around his, further surprising him.

"Besides, when we first met, didn't you say you wanted to know if I was your type?" she playfully teased, and Edgar felt his facial expression shift from confused to incredulous at how she still remembered his first words to her. "Well, how will you know if we don't find out?"

He remained flabbergasted, but at least his mind was now starting to dig its way through the fog. As far back as he could remember, he had pursued every young lady who had crossed paths with him only to be forsaken for his forwardness. Now, one had finally offered him a chance, so why did he stay hesitant?

He knew why. This was not just any young lady; this was Terra, someone he greatly cherished. As much as he may have wanted a romantic relationship with someone at some point in his life, he valued her too much to jeopardize what they had already established.

"Terra," he addressed softly again, "you know that, as king, there won't be a lot of time for us to be together the way you may want. I cannot just abandon my duties."

"Yes, I understand," she acknowledged. "I don't plan on abandoning mine either."

"I'm also not very experienced," Edgar admitted. "You already know how quickly others run from my flirtatiousness."

"Then let's learn together," Terra suggested. "You and I can grow together."

Terra's persistence was the one trait that did not surprise Edgar. He still was not initially won over, but he did consider all of her words. Her friendship was still valuable, and redefining it as something else frightened him; however, after witnessing the events of today, he finally felt that the bond within their family was too tight for any risk to fracture them apart.

Catching a glance at Terra when her eyes met his, Edgar finally gave her his answer.

"Okay, let's try it and see what happens."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I didn't plan for this chapter to be so much longer than the others, but the writer in me couldn't shy away from adding details to everything. As for those details...
> 
> The scroll that Cyan was holding up was handed to him at the end of Chapter 2. Eight chapters later, we finally find out its significance. Regarding Terra and Edgar's relationship, I debated whether or not I wanted them to get together; ultimately, I said "yes," but I wanted to capture how I thought they'd do it in accordance with their personalities and lack of experience.
> 
> How do you think I did? Please feel free to leave me your feedback. I always love hearing from you! Until next chapter!


	11. Finality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Strago gets a surprise and makes a decision about his own fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, the final chapter before the epilogue. I want to warn you all that this chapter could be a tearjerker, and not for happy reasons. Please heed the warning and proceed with caution.

Another sunrise hit his eyes, drawing them open. Strago looked up from his bed at the same sight that had greeted him every morning since he wound up confined to it.

Yesterday had been a blissful day for him. Although he had physically remained in the exact position as he had every day, getting up only for essential matters with Lola's and Interceptor's aid, he could feel the overwhelming amount of joy from half a world away. No one needed to bring any messages for him to know that the family reunion had been as wonderful as he envisioned or that Celes and Locke were now happily married.

Strago lay in bed and indulged in his own vision of yesterday's events. He pictured the scene of Figaro Castle fully decorated, adorned by silk flowers and ribbons of various bright colors everywhere. He pictured the euphoria of every person in one room excitedly catching up with each other on what they had been up to since the last time any of them spoke with one another. He pictured Locke standing in front of the thrones wearing his fancy royal attire and Celes walking down the aisle in a gorgeous gown. He pictured the entire throne room crying while the bride and groom recited their vows and Edgar declared them married. Of course, he also pictured Relm's surprise when Gau made his proposal, unable to contain a slight chuckle at the thought.

By the time Interceptor had climbed onto his bed and nuzzled next to him, Strago did not realize how long he had lain there with his own thoughts, but it did not matter. He knew the family was delighted to be together again, and he pictured himself right there with them.

"Good morning, Strago," Lola cheerfully greeted as she walked into the room. "How are you feeling today?"

"Morning…Lola…" Strago answered. "I'm…fine…"

He lied. He knew fully well that he was in poor physical condition and had been for quite some time. He had already defied all logic by surviving three years past his disease's expiration date. His health was worsening by the day, and today was no different. He was strong enough to distract himself through his joyful thoughts about the others, but no amount of mental resolve was enough to completely ignore the reality of his rapidly declining physical state.

Still though, Strago refused to openly acknowledge such a reality to anyone. When he first acquired the disease, he vowed to remain fully positive, knowing it would only drive those he loved into depressed states of mind if he wallowed in any misery. The disease challenged his resolve constantly throughout its course as though it was daring him to uphold this vow while it ate away at him from within, and yet Strago fought back each time, never caving to its repeated attempts to consume his mind and spirit the way it was ravaging his body.

Lola lifted up his head and placed a few more pillows atop the one he had been resting on, allowing him to sit up. She then tried to hand him the bowl filled with his meal, but he could not find the strength to lift his arm this morning. Strago hated such mornings, but sadly, they were becoming increasingly frequent, and he knew that it would only be a matter of time before they would be the norm instead of the outlier.

As Lola fed him his meal, Strago mentally channeled his inner Relm and sent a curse-filled tirade at the cancer cells in his body, giving them a piece of his mind. Interceptor sensed everything, softly nudging his way under Strago's arm and providing the elder mage with an empathetic grunt. Strago wanted desperately to pat the dog's head in appreciation, but could only find enough strength to rub the animal's head with his fingers.

Lola had just barely finished wiping his mouth with a handkerchief after feeding him when a knock sounded at the door. Strago slowly shifted his head in the direction of the knock just in time to see Lola open it and reveal Relm standing on the other side. His temporary caretaker and his granddaughter exchanged a few words that were too soft in volume for him to decipher before the latter stepped into the house and dropped her bag on a nearby table. Lola closed the door behind Relm but did not move away from it.

"Hi, Grandpa, I'm home!" Relm said and approached the bed.

"How…was…" Strago started to speak.

"Save your breath, old man," Relm interrupted. "The wedding was fine, they're married now, and everyone was happy to see everyone else again. There, questions answered."

Strago curved his lips upward as much as he could muster, satisfied with Relm's ability to read his thoughts, her full understanding of his situation in her own unique way, and the confirmation that his vision of the events had some validity.

"And yes, they did ask about how you're doing, and I told them the truth," his granddaughter added.

That was something Strago hoped not to hear. He knew the others were likely to inquire about his condition, but he hoped that Relm would assure them all that he was fine. However, he also knew that Relm was not someone who would lie to their family, so her answer did not come as a surprise.

"What…did…" Strago uttered.

"I'm getting there, Grandpa! Geez, you're so impatient!" Relm cut in, and Strago could not help but smile again. "Their answer was simple: 'if he can't come to us, we're going to go to him.'"

Before Strago even had a chance to feel any sort of curious confusion in return, Lola reopened the door. The mage's eyes widened in shock as Edgar walked in, followed by Sabin, Cyan, Gau, Terra, Mog, Gogo, Celes, Locke, Setzer, and a mysterious woman who looked eerily similar to Celes. Umaro brought up the rear, ducking under the doorway to enter, and Strago was thankful that his home at least had a high enough ceiling for the giant yeti to stand up straight without hitting his head.

"What…?" Strago began asking.

"Please, conserve your strength," Edgar spoke over him. "We'll be more than happy to answer. We talked about it at the end of our reception. We said that this was the first time our family was together in five years, and it simply wouldn't make any sense for even one member to be missing."

"We knew you were with us in spirit yesterday," Sabin followed. "We felt you there, but this wouldn't be a full reunion unless you were with us in whole as well, so we decided we'd all come share this moment with you."

"You're our strongest member, Strago," Terra continued. "You've been around longer than most of us can imagine even living right now, and you keep demonstrating to us every day what true strength is."

"We may have shown the world that no fight is impossible when we beat Kefka," Locke added, "but you're the one who continues to display the most unyielding persistence against the unthinkable."

"Our wedding and reunion wouldn't have been this blissful without the inspiration we've drawn from you to conquer our own battles," Celes said. "None of us would be able to forgive ourselves if we allowed you to miss this moment."

Strago's eyes scanned each face and was greeted with the same sincere nod of agreement along that which had been spoken. The barrage of compliments found their way into his soul, and he could feel his heart swelling multiple times over as both the verbalized and silent words sunk in. If there were still any doubts about the sustained closeness of this family, they were now completely erased.

"Thank you…everyone…" he uttered.

However, even as he was inundated with the warmth of the company around him, Strago began sensing his strength waning faster than usual. He tried to summon up the same resistance that he had called upon for the past three years, but this time, the pool had run dry. It was at this moment that he realized the time had come to stop preserving his energy and verbalize what was needed.

"Everyone…please…" he tried to start speaking again. "I want to…say a few…"

"Grandpa, don't," Relm jumped in the moment she heard those words. "You need to…"

"No," Strago responded defiantly, much to Relm's surprise. "Please, everyone…gather around…"

No one hesitated to honor his request. The twelve humans—including both Lola and the Celes look-alike—one Moogle, and one yeti all dispersed themselves evenly around his bed. Interceptor shifted upward so that its face was aligned almost immediately next to his.

Strago took a moment to organize his thoughts, then simply opened his heart and let his words flow as smoothly as he could muster.

"I've lived a long, meaningful life," he began, forcing through any energy he could draw. "Joining this family…was the best…decision I've ever made. You all helped me…in so many ways. You reawakened…my dream…let me overcome…my fears…"

He hacked and coughed, and Relm was instantly reaching over to comfort him, placing a hand behind him to rub his back. Gau, who was on the other side of the bed, gently held Strago's head with both hands to position him further upward.

"We fought…together…" Strago continued once he had finished coughing and Gau had laid his head back on the pillows. "We leaned…on each other…"

His breathing slowed down, and each breath became deeper. He could hear the disease aiming to make him succumb, but his spirit remained defiant against its brute force.

"Terra…Locke…" he kept speaking as Terra grabbed of his hands, "I'll never forget…your courage…in saving Relm. Celes…I saw how much…you and Locke…were meant to be, and…I'm so happy…you found each other."

He took a few more long breaths as Terra gently released his hand. Even inhaling air now was starting to become difficult.

"Edgar…what an amazing king…you are…" he continued. "Sabin…Cyan…I've never seen such…honorable fighters. Cyan…you're an incredible…father to Lola…and Lola…if I had a daughter…I'd want her…to be just…as wonderful…as you."

Tears were now starting to form in everyone's eyes as the reality of what was happening was starting to descend on them.

"Please…don't cry…" Strago pleaded. "I'm…all right. Setzer…keep being you…make the world…better. Mog…Umaro…Gogo…same to you…keep putting smiles…on others' faces."

"Kupo…" came a soft response from Mog.

Strago tilted his eyes slightly, setting them on the stranger who looked like Celes.

"And you're…?" he asked.

"Maria," she quickly answered. "I'm an opera singer."

"Nice to…meet you…" Strago wheezed as he spoke. "I'm…sorry we're…meeting so late…in my life. Please…know this…you won't find…a better family…to be part of."

"I understand," she nodded, and it was a sincere response. Tears were even starting to well up in her eyes as if she was losing a loved one.

At last, Strago turned to Gau and Relm.

"Gau…" he resumed speaking, "…did she say 'yes'?"

Gau nodded with a slight smile, fighting to hold back a tear.

"Please…take care…of each other…" Strago followed up. "Relm couldn't have…fallen for…anyone better."

"Grandpa…" Relm's voice choked back as she grabbed his hand.

"Relm…" Strago acknowledged. "You've always been…so special…so remarkable. You'll continue…to inspire…the world. Lean on…our family. They love you…as much as…I always have…and will."

The old mage hacked out another round of coughs, this time noticeably more violent than the last. He was still fighting, still refusing to cave to the illness that was using every second to prematurely silence him for good.

"We…saved the world…" he remarked to everyone and no one in particular. "We…saved each other. We've already…accomplished…the impossible. What's ahead…for us all…should be…child's play."

The tears that had been forming in everyone's eyes had started trickling down a few cheeks. There was no longer any indication that any of them were denying the reality of the situation. Still, Strago curved his lips upward into another smile.

"Please…don't mourn for me…" he tried again to reassure. "Do me…a favor…and hold…your heads high. I'm…okay…and ready."

He truly was. This was not him succumbing to the disease. This was a decision he had made as a last act of defiance against his illness: to depart on his own terms—in the comfort of his bed surrounded by the warmth of his entire family—instead of allowing it to dictate when he would leave.

"The Phantom Train…calls," he said barely audibly. "I'll see you all…again…on the other side."

Taking in one more image of his family together, seventy-six-year-old Strago Magus closed his eyes for the final time.

"Grandpa…please…sleep well," came Relm's voice laced with sobbing hiccups. They would be the last words he would hear.

"Thank you…all of you…for everything," he whispered with one terminal breath.

His vision faded to black, and he knew no more.

* * *

The memorial service for the elder magus was held the next day, and every single soul in Thamasa showed up to pay their respects. Strago Magus truly received the send-off worthy of the hero he was.

The family now stood at his gravesite, preparing to lower his body into its permanent resting place. There was never any doubt where he would be interred: beside Leo and Shadow in the same town that he had called home his entire life. Terra had just finished delivering the eulogy, praising Strago for his courage, devotion, inspiration, motivation, and—of course—heroism. The rest of those in attendance tried to honor his final request by holding their heads high and keeping the mood more celebratory than melancholic, but some simply could not hold it together.

Relm had yet to stop crying since the moment Strago drew his final breath yesterday. The usually stalwart and spunky sixteen-year-old was currently as broken as anyone had ever seen her, still clutching Gau with an iron grip and bawling her eyes out into his chest and shoulders while Interceptor nuzzled her from every direction. She was facing away from the gravesite the whole time, and while she turned around for a second when the body was being lowered, she immediately burst into fresh tears and buried herself back in Gau's clutch, unable to witness the sight of her grandfather's remains descending into the ground.

Empathetic for the teen's unbearable sorrow, Terra and Celes approached Relm and placed their arms around her from the back, surrounding her with as much comfort as they could provide while the men finished the burial process. Seeing this, Lola and Maria followed suit, latching onto the group from opposite sides. Mog jumped atop everyone and rested his body against Relm's head, clutching her by the shoulders. As the men completed their task and noticed what was happening, they too gradually joined in: first Gogo, then Locke and Setzer, followed by Cyan and Edgar, and finally Sabin and Umaro. In the end, the entire family had fused into a perfect circle that tightly hugged Relm, Gau, and Interceptor in the middle.

No words were exchanged, and none were needed. The message was as clear and obvious as it could be: no matter what the world threw at them, their family would stick together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I was planning this story, I made the decision pretty early on that I would write about Strago's death. I feel that, being the group's senior member and likely the first to pass on post-game, he deserves to leave in the best way imaginable: with loved ones all around him. This would be a well-earned final resolution for him.
> 
> Okay, all that remains now is the epilogue. For those who've hung with this story from the start, thank you! Writing this has been quite the journey, and it'll be sad for me when it ends, but I'm ready to conclude it. Until next time!


	12. Epilogue - Continuation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story comes full circle, closing with the same person that the game opened with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before I start, I want to thank all of you who've enjoyed this story enough to read through its entirety. I don't consider myself a die-hard fan of Final Fantasy VI, but the game itself is so well-rounded that I found myself brainstorming what the characters would be like after the credits had rolled, and thus, this tale was born. Now, twelve chapters later, it's time to conclude it.

Sunrise over Figaro Castle was a sight that remained enthralling. Terra, who had become a habitual early riser while living in Mobliz due to her responsibilities toward the orphans, now enjoyed many of her mornings by waking up and looking east from her balcony to greet the sun.

Today's sunrise held more significance though. It was once again the Summer Solstice. For the staff at Figaro, that meant it would once again be time for another wedding. For her family, that meant it was time for their annual reunion.

As she watched the sun's rays make their presence known above the horizon, the twenty-nine-year-old former esper gave herself a few moments to contemplate on her own emotions. Five years had passed since the first wedding among their close-knit family when Celes had tied the knot with Locke. Nobody knew it at the time, but the two of them had launched a mini-tradition that now made it seem as though a wedding every Summer Solstice had become mandatory.

One year later, Setzer and Maria married. Everyone was initially shocked at how quickly they had made their decision, but it turned out that Maria was just as much of a risktaker as their gambling airship pilot friend, and jumping the gun into marriage seemed to thrill both of them. At his wedding, Setzer was incessantly ribbed for somehow realizing his original romantic dream, which he wholeheartedly took in both stride and pride.

Two years later, Duane and Katarin finally decided to marry. They originally chose to hold their wedding in Mobliz, but when Edgar reached out and offered Figaro Castle to them, they accepted his offer as a token of gratitude for all of Figaro's aid to their town.

Three years later, Sabin and Lola married. Sabin, who had started training Lola shortly after Celes' and Locke's wedding, had dismissed the idea of pursuing any sort of romantic relationship with her for what seemed like an eternity, drawing on his discipline as a monk to resist what he saw as sinister temptations. However, even he could not resist what was genuine forever, and he finally acknowledged that his heart had developed feelings for the damsel-turned-fighter. Cyan was quick to bless their relationship, even though he still admitted that it was strange to now refer to Sabin as his son-in-law.

Then, last year, Terra married Edgar. Their relationship was unlike any of their friends': they continued to live apart for the first two years, fully devoted solely to their responsibilities while only seeing each other on occasion and maintaining their communication primarily through messages that were mostly delivered by Celes. As the orphans grew older and took on more of the responsibilities to care for themselves, Terra began traveling to Figaro more often, dedicating herself to being the supportive companion that Edgar could not find with other castle staff. In return, Edgar gradually learned to elevate his own role with her above their established friendship and into something more romantic. They were both clumsy and foolish, but just as Terra had initially suggested, they wound up learning together to find what they were missing and needed in each other.

Terra still split her time between Figaro and Mobliz, but she was learning to gradually let the latter go, especially now that several of the children there had entered adulthood. A handful of them were already at the age she was when she originally found herself there as their caretaker, and soon, Mobliz would become a completely self-sustaining town once again.

Now, five years after Celes' and Locke's wedding, the young artist who became the "next" bride that day by virtue of being given Celes' bouquet was finally ready to walk down the aisle herself. It had taken Relm quite some time to rediscover her energetic spirit again after Strago had died; for a few months, she was almost unrecognizable to the rest of the family while she grieved, experiencing the same emotional roller coaster that, according to Gau, had tormented her nonstop after discovering that Shadow was her father. Interceptor's sudden death from a heart attack half a year after Strago's passing certainly did not help either. Thankfully, Gau remained as patient as ever, staying in Thamasa to keep Relm accompanied day and night while enduring through moments that would have pushed most people beyond their limits.

"Why is he so good to me?" Terra remembered Relm asking her once. "What did I ever do to deserve him?"

"Love," was all she could say in response, not knowing what else would fit.

Gau had even moved to Thamasa permanently to watch their home and help tend to the gravesites of their deceased family members, although he still visited the Veldt on occasion to train. Relm repeatedly admitted that she had been blessed by the fact that she and Gau held each other's hearts, and Gau's devotion wound up being the strongest beacon of light that she leaned on through times of unimaginable turmoil.

Neither Terra nor anyone else in the family had doubted in the strength and sincerity of the love that Relm and Gau held toward each other, and the previous five years only continued to fortify the already-sturdy bonds they shared. The untrained eye may have questioned the length of their engagement, but Relm and Gau had always marched to their own beats, and their decision to wait until they were truly ready to marry further illustrated the iconoclasm that the family admired about them.

Terra had learned quite a bit from Relm and Gau about allowing a relationship to evolve at its own pace, and as she looked down at the garment she was wearing—a simple pink robe—she gave herself a slight chuckle. Early on, Edgar had tried to shower her with lavish royal gifts, including a robe dotted with jewelry. It was, as he put it, his desire to treat her like his queen.

"I've been denied this chance for so long," he told her. "Now that I have it, I want to show you how much you mean to me."

While she appreciated his gesture, Terra was never one to take enjoyment in material goods. She urged Edgar to remain true to himself: instead of exorbitantly spending on her, she encouraged him to continue using Figaro's wealth to aid in the ongoing rebuilding of the world.

"I fell in love with you for your altruism, not your lavishness," she reminded him. "Please don't ever forget that."

Edgar never did. Figaro remained an active player in the planet's healing, and five years later, it was still broadly recognized as both the world's most powerful and generous kingdom. In fact, Edgar seemed to have grown more efficient than ever in his governing abilities, so much so that even the most unfortunate of Figaro's subjects displayed a noticeable sense of loyalty to and belief in him. He was so different from Gestahl that, according to his advisors, his staunchest detractors found it difficult to disparage him. Edgar openly welcomed and accepted criticism while never attempting to silence anyone for their honesty.

Publicly, Edgar humbly refused to take credit for the kingdom's accomplishments, always redirecting any praise that came his way toward his castle staff and the people themselves. Privately, Edgar gave Terra much of the credit for helping him become a better ruler.

"You let me be me," he explained to her. "In front of everyone else, I have to consistently maintain my image as King Edgar Roni Figaro. When I return to you, I can just be Edgar. I never had that outlet, and I never realized how much I needed it until you gave it to me."

The feeling was mutual for Terra. Sure, she still had Celes and always would, but it was certainly not exactly the same—nor should it have been—after Celes had gotten married. Since Terra could no longer go to Celes as frequently as before, Edgar had become the one to provide her with the profound companionship she sought. He filled this role so well that, by the time he popped the question, Terra accepted his proposal without a second thought.

Despite technically gaining the title "Her Royal Highness, Queen Terra Branford of Figaro," Terra never used her title in front of others. She had always been a selfless soul and remained so even after marriage, refusing to hold herself above others in any manner. She frequently volunteered her own services in nearby towns that continued to rebuild, and she used what she learned from her time in Mobliz to establish a series of orphanages in towns that needed them, overseeing them herself. Maintaining the high standards that Figaro held itself to had become second nature to her.

Terra smiled thinking about the planet as a whole, a planet that she continued to familiarize herself with every time she journeyed out to aid in its restoration. Although it was still rebuilding and recovering from Kefka's reign of terror, much of it had been healed already thanks to collective valiant efforts. Different varieties of flora had begun growing across a world that could now sustain such life again, and much of the fauna had calmed from the overly aggressive natures that plagued them in the immediate aftermath of the apocalypse. Cities and towns would not revert to exactly the way they were in the past, but none remained as rundown as they had been while Kefka was in control. Even Zozo was seeing noticeable progress, although its less-than-amicable reputation still held strong.

The planet may never return to being the same world of balance, but it definitely could no longer be accurately described as a world of ruin either. With magic permanently gone, it was now widely understood and accepted that humanity itself needed to take the responsibility in finding the balance that magic once provided, and progress would be ongoing for quite some time. Terra, forever grateful that love had given her a second chance, was simply humble enough to play a role in this progress.

While she was modest about her own duties toward the planet, Terra felt great pride in the accomplishments of her family. Similar to the first five years after Kefka's defeat, each member had made noticeable strides in the previous five years as well.

Setzer had found a new home with Maria in Jidoor. He still ran the _Falcon_ Casino aboard his airship, but he expanded his fleet by constructing airships for several other members of the family. It started as a side project between Edgar and him with the King of Figaro supplying his machinist expertise, a project that resulted in Edgar helping to craft an airship of his own that the king aptly named the _Returner_. It was now Terra's primary mode of transportation.

With Edgar's help, Setzer next provided an airship for M3. The trio toured with the Falcon for a year, but because Setzer could not keep up with the demand for their shows, he decided to construct them their own airship, allowing their pack chocobo to retire for good. Mog named the ship _Ramuh_ after the esper who had taught him how to speak and as a tribute to the role that the espers played in the planet's history, and he, Umaro, and Gogo continued to tour aboard it to this day, still as popular as ever.

Figaro's army was given its own airship separate from the _Returner_. Setzer and Edgar gifted it to Celes, who named it _Del Norte_ in honor of Cid and now used it to transport both troops and supplies at significantly faster rates to where they were needed, boosting Figaro's prestige even higher. Celes remained the beloved commander of Figaro's forces and had turned her former Gestahlian reputation around completely, now universally venerated wherever she set foot.

Setzer had planned to construct more ships for the other members of the family as well, but the rest declined his generosity, convincing him that they found it unnecessary to own such a massive machine. Sabin, Cyan, and Lola were strong enough to not fear the environment when they traveled. For Locke, whose work was mostly behind the scenes, a gigantic airship would make it impossible for him to remain subtle. Relm was frequently provided transportation by those who commissioned her artwork, and Gau was more in tune with how to traverse the planet than anyone else. Besides, none of the ones who owned airships ever minded giving lifts to anyone else in the family.

Now, once a year on the Summer Solstice, the _Falcon_ , _Returner_ , _Ramuh_ , and _Del Norte_ all simultaneously docked at Figaro castle. The annual sight of the four airships stationed together widened Terra's smile.

"Mama Terra?" a voice called from behind her.

Terra turned around and was met by a yawning ten-year-old boy.

"Morning, Janus. Did you sleep well?" she greeted her godson, receiving a nod in return. "Good. Go ahead and get dressed, then head downstairs to the throne room. See if they need any help getting ready for the wedding."

The young boy did as he was instructed. Janus had become extremely close with Terra during the past five years, taking an interest in almost every one of her responsibilities. He was fascinated by the duties of those on the royal court and traveled with Terra to Figaro routinely to learn more, even partaking in some himself to show that he was useful. Edgar welcomed him every time with open arms, half-seriously suggesting that, as long as Janus continued learning, he might even one day be promoted to an advisory role.

Janus had been the child who had come to symbolize the world's rebirth in the immediate aftermath of Kefka's defeat, and over the years, more additions to their family were to make their way into the world. Terra felt her heartbeat quicken when she looked back at the other two sleeping figures atop the large bed in the room: a three-year-old boy and a one-year-old girl.

Inizio Gabbiani, the boy, was the son of Setzer and Maria, whose parents had also chosen a name to symbolize the renewal of both the planet and the affection that the gambler had rediscovered for the opera star. Like his parents, he seemed to be quite a risktaker, often unafraid to climb atop furniture and jump off.

Adira Figaro, the girl, was the daughter of Sabin and Lola, whose parents specifically chose a name that meant noble and strong. To no one's surprise, she was born heavier than the average baby, and she was already showing signs of strength from how much and how quickly she was routinely consuming.

Needless to say, having been around the orphans for so long, Terra found both great joy and great pride in being able to care for such young lives. Thus, she offered to take the children in whenever the parents paid visits to Figaro Castle.

As if on cue, a knock at the door followed by its slight opening diverted Terra's attention, and she turned to see Celes appear with a child's hand in each of hers.

"Hey, morning," Celes greeted. "Can I ask you to look after the twins while I help set up Relm's dressing room?"

"I'd be glad to," Terra answered, walking forward and taking the boy's and girl's hands from Celes.

"You're the best as always," Celes thanked her and exited the room.

"All right, Beau and Belle," Terra spoke quietly to Celes' and Locke's four-year-old twins so as not to disturb the still-sleeping toddlers. "Let's go see the sunrise."

She guided the enthusiastic siblings back over to the balcony just in time to witness the first part of the sun peek its way over the horizon. As Beau and Belle Cole watched with their wide-eyed smiles, Terra felt each of them place a hand over her abdomen, and for the first time that morning, her attention shifted to the new life now growing inside of her.

In four months, she would be giving birth to the next heir of Figaro, whom Edgar had wholeheartedly agreed to name either Maduin or Madeline after her parents. It was strange to Terra that, in the five months she had been carrying her child, she and the unborn figure had already formed an ironclad bond despite having yet to meet. The other women who had given birth all explained to her that it was yet another aspect of love that defied pure logic.

The sun beamed its light onto her balcony, and Terra closed her eyes and beamed right back at it, realizing that she was still learning lessons about love that had previously eluded her. As if she needed another reminder of the emotion's strength, Beau and Belle gently rubbed their palms over her abdomen and were quickly greeted by her child's soft kicks.

A tear welled up and fell from Terra's eye. A decade ago, she was a lost soul, fortunate to be freed from a lifelong servitude but unable to understand even the most basic qualities of love. As she reflected deeper on her circumstances a decade after the apocalypse, Terra now fully recognized that Kefka had truly failed in his mission. The madman may have broken the world physically, but he could never break its spirit. From humanity's enduring successful rebuild, to the unshakable bonds that her family still held, to the ascent of the orphans she had helped to raise into adulthood, to the newer generation of children her family had blessed upon the world, and finally to the child now growing inside herself, love in all forms had proven that its power was incorruptible by even the most sinister of destructors.

The planet, humanity, and her family would continue to face extraordinary challenges, and perhaps even another Kefka could rise from the ashes one day. Yet the unprecedented strength of love would forever prevail and assure that the cycle of life would always continue.

After all that she had experienced, Terra was certain of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, oh man, oh man, it feels both exhausting and rewarding to have finished writing this. Since the game started with Terra, I felt it would be fitting to end this story from her perspective as well.
> 
> If you're curious about the children's names I came up with…
> 
> \- "Inizio" is an Italian name meaning "beginning." Since Setzer's surname is Italian, and Maria likely might be Italian as well (the opera lyrics she sings are primarily in Italian), I figured I should give their child an Italian name.
> 
> \- "Adira" is a Hebrew name meaning "noble and powerful." Sabin is both a noble by his lineage and a physically strong character, so it fits with his child.
> 
> \- "Beau" and "Belle" are both French names. Celes' surname "Chere" is French, so I assigned her twins alliterating French given names.
> 
> As I mentioned in my introductory notes, I initially decided to write this because I thought that the ending to the game was somewhat incomplete and that the characters deserved a more satisfactory conclusion. I can only hope that, twelve chapters later, such a conclusion has been reached.
> 
> Well, that's all. As always, I welcome any feedback you may have. Thank you one final time for coming on this journey with me, and I hope I'll see you again in another story!


End file.
